February 2005
With Internet advertising forecast to increase by over 38% this year, and more and more people choosing to use the Internet to search for bars, inns and public houses, the Internet is becoming an increasingly valuable sales and marketing tool.

Whether your business has a website or not, Thomson Directories has an online package that will be right for you. Thomsons' Business Finder and WebFinder packages have been designed to help maximise your company's online potential with minimum set up costs, enabling a quick return on investment, so vital for small and medium size businesses.

The Business Finder service provided by Thomson Directories' online directory, ThomsonLocal.com, allows businesses that don't have a website to gain an online presence. The Business Finder Diamond Advertiser Package provides companies the opportunity to appear in priority advertising positions on ThomsonLocal.com and also across its extensive partner network, including Yahoo! UK & Ireland , Wanadoo and Ask Jeeves. Fully managed by the Thomson Directories online team, this package creates enhanced brand awareness and increases the volume of sales enquires being driven to their business.

Jill Pringle, Product Manager, Thomson Directories, describes, “with increasing Internet usage it's becoming more important for businesses to make sure they are maximising the opportunities that online sales and marketing has to offer. Businesses who have never previously considered a web presence can now appear in web searches, keeping their company front of mind to online prospective users.”

Businesses that have an online presence can take advantage of Thomson Directories' WebFinder search engine marketing service. This ‘pay-per-click' package has been designed for small to medium sized businesses who want to promote their websites on search engines, but are new to Internet marketing, or don't have the time to manage their online account.

Giving great flexibility, the new, and very different, WebFinder ‘Fixed Price' package guarantees 200 visitors to a company's website, for a fixed fee. The whole process is fully managed by the WebFinder team at Thomson Directories, so businesses that opt for this package don't have to do a thing – except wait for the business to come in!

Karen Francis, Internet Channel Marketing Manager, said, “Pay-per-click' is a really cost-effective way to advertise, as businesses only pay when someone visits their website, giving a high return on investment. The WebFinder ‘Fixed Price' package is a new approach to ‘pay-per-click' in the UK and gives small and medium sized businesses the opportunity to promote their websites on search engines without having to be an Internet guru or manage their own 'pay per click' account.”

Utilising the sales and marketing potential of the Internet is an increasing need of businesses today, and by choosing the right package, Thomson Directories' online services can help your company achieve its business goals.

For further information please contact our press office.