With the rise of online and more than 12% of South Africa’s population now accessing the internet, online marketing is at the forefront of any company’s marketing strategy.

Back in the day, during the Internet’s infancy, searching for things online was difficult. However, since then, search engines have upped their game and made it easier for customers by localising searches, and ultimately helping them find what they need.

If you are in business, and have a marketing budget, digital media is definitely the progressive way to be putting your name out there. Print media still has its place and always will, however, the alternative has many positives.

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A few key points to consider:

• Research the directory: how long have they been in business? Find out the history, speak to businesses that are currently advertising on the site, and get their feedback.

• Ad-management versus content rich: what is the quality of the content, and how much content is there? Niche directories, with strong unique visit stats are generally the best option. Don’t get lost in the clutter, make certain the directory stays focused on the content and doesn’t sell out to anybody that wants to advertise, ultimately drowning out everybody not listed in the first few slots.

• Brand Recognition: are the businesses listed, businesses you would like to be associated with? Consumers generally aspire to what other consumers deem aspirational, so make certain the site you are considering has reputable businesses that you would like to align yourself with, competition is great for business, and keeps you on your toes.

• Does the Directory appear on a search engine results page (SERP)? Niche directories add value to Google: search engines are able to distinguish between directories that have value from those that do not when it comes to page ranking.

So, in conclusion, online directories absolutely have their place on the Internet and for marketing oneself on the world wide web. Carefully considered, niche directories, are one of the best options to market your business to relevant prospects. That’s where the folks over at the ToLifeGroup.co.za have managed to stay true to their community.

Check out the Home To Life and You To Life directories by following the links.