The Death of the Phone Book
Tags: phone books, Publishing, yellow pages
A few days ago, Slate posted an interesting article about the history of the phone book. Titled “Why Won’t Phone Books Die?” it chronicled their inception, increasing success and current demise of this information service.
Given the various methods people have to communicate now beyond public land lines–cell phones and email, to name a few–let alone those who have private numbers or no land lines at all, the death of the phone book is a natural thing. Yet, according to Slate, the Yellow Pages Association is refusing to let it die. I know they are worried about their livelihood and their employees, but it’s hard to argue for the preservation of something that is little more than an information service. (Although I did enjoy the historical elements of the Slate article!)
It only makes sense that services that merely provide listings and information move to a digital an more interactive format than an alphabetical index as it’s only search method. Instead of fervently holding on to a dying medium, Yellow Pages should look to the future and capitalize on the technologies people are using to find information. They already have a website I go too far too often for information. Why not grow from there?
This is a tune I sing far too often, but I found this Slate piece really interesting, and it’s well worth a read. Check it out for yourself here.
Image by mdumlao98. Licensed via Creative Commons.
Dying media? Don’t think so.
The fact is the print Yellow Pages is fully portable, doesn’t require any special connections, electricity, or communications source. I can find things in it much quick than clicking away on some site or through some search engine. When I get to the page I’m looking for it provides a subjective source as to a business’s viability – big ads show me this company should be more viable than someone with a bold listing.
Try this experiment yourself – start with a print Yellow Pages and a computer turned on ready to go – now find a local supplier to replace a broken car windshield, one that takes Visa and can come to your office to fix it. In my test:
• Print – 38 seconds – Register’s Auto Glass (30 yrs experience, Visa/MC, free mobile service, 5 locations, 866 toll free number, website, ½ page color ad)
• Google search – 41 seconds to get back 71,500 possible results which I now need to start clicking through to find one that actually matches my needs, separating all of the national advertisers from the local ones. Here’s the link in case you don’t believe me: http://www.google.com/search?q=replacement windshield holly springs nc&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
wow! thanks for those stats!
A few thoughts in response:
Are people actually using the phone book? the stats in the slate other say no, especially among younger people.
If you need to find a business or a number when you’re on the subway, do you have a phone book with you?
As for using google, I agree with you that it’s not a very efficient method of searching for such specific things. but what are the return-rates on more niche-oriented search engines like yellowpages.ca or 411.ca or toronto.com, faster than google?
I’m not going to lug my yellow pages everywhere, but I do take my cell phone everywhere. In terms of giving users mobility, choice and flexibility, how does a static phone book do that?
I’m not saying they should stop printing phone books all together, but to give users the most options possible so they can find a system that works for them.