When you are looking for a resource ...

[CAframer]

do you ...

... reach for the Yellow Pages book

... click on Yellowpages.com

... click on Google

... click on Yahoo

... other

Personally I go to Google first, Yahoo second, Yellow Pages Book third, and never bother with anything else. How about you?

[Paul N]

Google
Superpages.com
411.com

When the above fail (rarely, the old fashioned Yellow Book, but can't remember the last time I did.

[Liz]

I rarely use anything but the Internet...and I also can't remember the last time I couldn't find what I was looking for. I only look at the "book" once a year to check our ad.

[Ron Eggers]

I'm a Google guy, too, but think about the implications. You can find that widget you need from a dealer a thousand miles away who will ship it within 24 hours and charge no sales tax. They might even have free shipping.

Who's shopping locally?

If I'm looking for information, it's back to Google. If I want a book to read for fun, I'll buy it - as often as not from Amazon.

Don't tell Kit, but I can't remember that last time I was in our very nice local library.

[Framerguy]

Those implications also include a large portion of the population from Florida who shop the internet and buy from the businesses in Appleton, WS, a thousand miles from Paradise!

And we always appreciate the free shipping and no sales tax particularly when most of the businesses also include a little brick of genuine Wisconsin cheese in each order!! graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I only wish that they still gave out Eagle stamps with orders. I still have 3 half filled books that I would really like to finish off.

Framerguy

[Bill Henry-]

It certainly depends what I’m looking for.

If it is a guy to spruce up my lawn, I’m going to go to the local Yellow Pages (the real one, not the rip offs).

If it is a hunk of software for a price comparison, I’ll search “StreetPrices”.

If it is to find the local chapter of “Bonsai Pets and Tofu Recipes”, then it’s Google. (I haven’t used Yahoo! in months).

An implied question, though: I'm having more customers tell me that they found our web site through an internet search.

[Elaine]

Google for information. I really try to shop locally for things I need, so then its our small local phonebook yellow pages, and then to the larger yellowpages. I still buy books from Amazon or Sam's club (leisure reading); I'm located right next to a bookstore, but I have to say their prices are high and I spend way too much on books to afford buying them there. I do frequent the coffeshop for breakfast - makes me feel better about not buying books there!

my 2 cents

Elaine

[RozR]

Google - first!
Yellow pages - local
Google again.

And Elaine, "I'm located right next to a bookstore, but I have to say their prices are high and I spend way too much on books to afford buying them there. I do frequent the coffeshop for breakfast - makes me feel better about not buying books there!"... Isn't their coffee expensive too!??! :D

Roz

[Susan May]

Google first, then I ask my husband. He seems to have a wealth of useless information stuck in his head.

[Elaine]

Yes!!

Their breakfast sandwich is reasonable compared to another place that I frequent, but the taste is better and its closer!! I don't drink coffee, but I am working with a group on a "shop Local" progam and they do drink coffee. One of the people brought a "box of coffee from Duncan Donuts, and we harassed her for not buying locally. That sent her on a mission... we have three coffee shops, a couple of convenience stores and a Byrne Dairy which is really a convenience store, but the family is from skaneateles. We actually could have purchased the coffee at the lcoal Byrne Dairy of about $2 a box less than than Duncan Donuts, but the other coffee shops were way out there on prices - some as much as $8 more a box. It is an eye opener though and I can't vouch for the taste!

I find it very interesting how our sales tax dollars come back into the community and how it is decided on how they are used. The group that complains the most about the local merchants and the amount of people that we supposedly bring into town, are the ones who rely on the sales tax distribution for their budget. When they complain about us, they are kind of biting the hand that helps to feed them. Still trying to figure out how to educate the consumer about that!!

The sad fact is, is that our town is percieved as being more expensive than we are. We work really hard to keep our prices competitive, but that perception is what kills us! As a group, we are trying to figure it out. I think most important, is to educate our local consumers that we are in this with them, not against them.

Only time will tell...

Elaine

[Elaine]

Sue,

My husband calls me Cliff Klaben because he says that I am "wealth of useless information" Cliff was the postal worker on Cheers.

Don't know why, but I remember the most useless tidbits of info. The stuff I really want to remember, flys out the window!

Elaine