Is there an advertising directory like the Yellow Pages available in Dumaguete? If so, where can one get one?
Wow, do we see here a potential big online business for yellow pages? I mean, instead of scanning the big yellow pages usually for phones, we have them online. And I even think this would be more convenient.
Certainly not.. Business Owners do have the options to get listed in the Yellow Pages of DI (as one of 6 options), but here is what happens: They got approached by our Add-Officer per phone, in person or/and email, listen to all and say no. The next days they appear under a faked name on the forum-section of Dumaguete City - Negros Oriental - Apo Island - Siquijor - Philippines - Dumaguete to spam for their business, of course to be kicked out right after detection, as the Forum policy of DI does not support commercial advertising. The smart-asses under them try to send out "friends" to spam for them and the "friends' get upset with the DI-team too if their "information" got disapproved. All the disapproved spammers and "friends" get a email from us with the explanation why their post got disapproved and the options for commercial advertising. Here is where it gets interesting... While we get replies from most Filipino business owners with some apology or nice words and even some requests for more information or being listed, the foreign business owners running around in Dumaguete and tell everybody how arrogant we are. Well we serious could not care less... We are talking here about less than 4.5 peso a day !!! for a yellow page listing.(1600 peso a year). For that 4.5 peso you are exposed to (stats Aug 2009) 1954 visitors a day with 290,866 pageviews and 2,136,799 hits monthly. As you know, we are usually in the top 3 for almost each Dumaguete related search-term and the view who did sign up (even for other options and more peso) renewed right away after the first year was over and some even upgraded from YP-listings to higher options. From our experience it is not a business opportunity here. And you know pretty well that some "sneaky" expats and locals tried to do the same, even copying/modifying our site-name AND content, just to find out that it will not work... It actually would but all running out of breath after two month when they see that there is a lot work involved and copy-past and 5 friends as visitors are not enough) Well, each new page has to compete with DI anyway and that will be a hard thing to do :D. (I am not being arrogant, just realistic). We also offered several websites with value (as well as all official tourism related sites and universities here) to cooperate with DI as both sides would benefit and providing a even better information source, but wala... As a small business -opportunity you can support DI and get pretty fair commission for each sign up :-) cheers Rhoody
Thanks for the info Rhoody! It still would be nice to have a BOOK like the Yellow Pages we have here in the states that list almost everything instead of the few businesses that choose to advertise online. They have one in Bacolod and also Metro Manila. "Free" for the taking out of hotel drawers! :D
