Is your business listed in the Yellow Pages? No, not the heavy paper book that�s delivered to your door step each year. I'm talking about the online Yellow Pages! There are many excellent, top-quality online directories like this available for no-cost or low-cost, and if your company isn�t listed, you could be losing serious business because of it. Here are five reasons why your company should be listed in the major (and also some smaller) online directories:

1. Customers are Already Looking for You Online - According to a recent finding by The Kelsey Group, 70% of households now use the Inteet as an information source when shopping locally for products and services. Because this trend is growing among all demographics, it means customers (and potential customers) are using online directories to find information that they used to look for in the phone book. If you aren't listed in the online directories, how are customers going to find you?

2. Customers are Mobile - Recent studies have shown that people are tuing to the Inteet first when looking for information about businesses, rather than looking up information in printed phone directories. The convenience of having directory information instantly available on computers, cell phones, PDA devices, etc., is a growing trend that your business cannot afford to ignore.

3. Time-Crunched Users Want Instant Information � People don�t want to wait to get back to the office to look something up, they don�t want to call a co-worker to look something up for them, and sometimes they don�t even want to walk into another part of the building (or another room at home) to dig out the paper phone book and look up information. Users rely on faster, more convenient methods like online directories and search engines to instantly find the information they need.

4. Local Directories � The introduction of local directories such as Google Local (and various other state or industry-specific directories) have made it realistic for people to use the inteet to find business information. Before these local directories existed, business listings were often too �global.� Looking for a specific product might tu up listings in other states or other countries, which of course was not very useful for most people.

5. Comprehensive Exposure for Your Business �Your business information is probably already available across many media outlets, including your web site, search engines, marketing and advertising initiatives, trade organizations, etc. By listing your business in online directories, you can get your company name out there to countless other outlets that are seen by people who may not have otherwise found your business. The larger directories often �feed� smaller directories, so your information is automatically propagated around the inteet without any additional effort from you.

There are also other benefits to listing your business in online directories, so be sure to take advantage of this growing trend. Don't limit your submissions to only one type of directory, though. The best results usually come when you're listed in multiple types of directories, including those that are locally focused, geographically focused, industry focused, and those that provide general information. These directories are already being used by your customers and potential customers each day, so make sure they can find you!

Lauren Hobson is the Editor of Biz Talk Newsletter, a free monthly publication designed to provide small businesses and non-profits with tips and techniques to help them make the most of their web sites and marketing efforts without spending a lot of money. Biz Talk is published by Five Sparrows, LLC.