Does Yellow Page Advertising Work for Plumbers?

Survey Says: 44% of Consumers Use the Yellow Pages to Find a Plumbers.

A recent media usage study has provided plumbing contractors a flood of interesting news about how consumers search for their services. As plumbers battle for local market share, they may be wise to think twice about focusing entirely on the web to promote their business.

Results show that Yellow Page advertising and Internet searches play virtually equal roles in building and maintaining a successful plumbing contractor business.

The study, conducted by the Local Search Association, revealed that 45 percent used the Internet to search for plumbing services, while 44 percent turned to their local Yellow Pages.

Other contractors included in the detailed survey found comparable results.

Case Study #1: Drain Masters

Drain Masters in Binghamton, NY, understands the value of Yellow Pages. The company has a two-page spread (known as a “double truck”) in our Broome and Tioga Counties phone book and a call tracking phone number to monitor the calls it generated.

786 Phone Calls in 13 Months

Between June 1, 2014, and August 24, 2015, Drain Masters received 786 phone calls—an average of 60 calls a month.

Studies have shown that 40 percent of consumers who contact a business in the Yellow Pages make a purchase.¹ But even if only 20 percent became customers, it represents a potential $36,313 in gross revenue.²
1 LSA Local Media Tracking Study 2014, March 2015
2 Average homeowner in Binghamton NY spends $231 on plumbing costs: HomeAdvisor Plumbing Cost Guides.

Case Study #2: John Piccirilli Plumbing

It’s not just oversized ads that receive all the attention. John Piccirilli Plumbing has a smaller ad four pages back from the one above. Yet it still generated 630 calls in the same time period—for $29,106 in potential revenue.

What Does This Mean for Your Plumbing Business?

First, it offers some level of guidance in making decisions about where to invest your precious advertising dollars. It also suggests that a more balanced approach to marketing, perhaps split between phone book advertising and Internet efforts, might be a sound approach.

Of course, every plumbing business is different. Your best bet is to sit down with a Yellow Page professional to plan a strategy that meets your specific business goals and budget.

The survey results and call tracking data refute the predictions of some media experts who projected the rapid demise of Yellow Pages as an important source for local searches.

For plumbing contractors looking for an edge against the competition, these results illuminate the importance of investing wisely across several channels to cover all potential markets, including Baby Boomers who still rely heavily on local Yellow Pages.

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