When most people hear the phrase, business directory they think of a 700 page yellow phone book with business and residential listings. There are also business directories designed to promote a specific type of business on the internet.

There are many companies that sell advertisement space on a business listing database. A business is placed into a particular category and when a visitor enters a website they have full access to several business categories to choose from. For example, if a business falls into the category of restaurants and they are interested in searching for a particular restaurant; there is a listing of various restaurants to choose from.

This is an excellent form of marketing for a business. A listing in a business directory can increase business tremendously especially on a web site with a high traffic volume. There are several business directories online that will promote your business for free while some will charge a one time fee or a monthly fee. You can find a list of them simply by conducting a search.

Most business directories have limited information about a company such as an address and a contact number. Where as there are many internet business directories that have an expanded search such as address, contact number, fax number, website address and email address.

Some companys will offer advertisers the option of linking their websites so that when a visitor selects a particular location with a website listing, they will link directly to that website. This is a good option for a webmaster who wants to track how much traffic he or she is receiving through their listing. This information will help tell them if its a successful venture or not.

Another form of a business directory that is a good marketing tool is direct marketing. Many research firms rely on direct marketing lists to match their leads with various business directories. This is like a form of free publicity which is always good for a business, especially a new business. Business directories have been proven to be successful for many business peoples marketing campaigns.