Using Data Entry To Earn An Online Income

The Yellow Pages Publishers Association in Troy, Michigan, reports that almost 60 percent of all adults use the yellow pages each week. Eighty four percent read two or more ads, suggesting that users are not just looking up telephone numbers but are shoppers who can be influenced by the quality of the ad. For those of us on a budget, this is an excellent advertising alternative.

There are about 6,000 yellow pages directories nationwide. Some areas are served by only one, but others have many. Los Angeles County has 28. Telephone companies publish the most widely used directories, but many are now published by independent companies. The cost of an ad in an independently published yellow pages directory is usually less expensive as an ad in a phone company directory. However, an independent directory may not give you the exposure you are seeking.

A yellow pages sales rep will pressure you to place ads under several headings for data entry. That may be a good investment, but be careful. Investing in many headings is usually a waste of money. The best way to find the most productive heading is to look where the competition places its ads. If you see competitors under the same headings year after year, you should be there, too. Remember, however, that sales reps work on commission and may also pressure you to use color, have large ads, or use other expensive options.

Consider using an outside agency or graphic artist. Yellow pages advertising for online data entry clients is different form conventional print, so if you decide to use someone other than a sales rep, use only a person with experience in this medium. You may even discover that you are the expert in designing your own ad.

Always track your ad responses or you will never know what works and what doesn't. Make sure you ask every caller how they learned about your service ?from a friend, physician or hospital referral, one of your speaking engagements, an ad ?and write down their responses. If they saw your ad, and if it is appearing in more than one directory, ask callers for the ad's page number, which will tell you what directory they are using. This way you will know exactly how many sales each directory or listing produces.

It is important to research service demand in your area. Is there a need for additional transcription services or is the local market pretty well saturated? For information regarding the industry, contact local employment agencies, employment development departments, personnel departments and other medical personnel service agencies, trade schools, and community colleges that offer courses in data entry.. When you have completed your investigation, carefully analyze the facts you have gathered and determine the potential market for your data entry online service. Communication and networking with other data entry online professionals is beneficial in fact-gathering. Make a list of local data entry professionals and file information you obtain about self-employed data entry online professionals in your area.


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