Insurance Journal’s Yellow Pages Dial Up Success

If you’ve seen a big yellow advertisement on both insurancejournal.com and claimsguides.com lately and wondered just what the Yellow Pages are, wonder no more.

Insurance Journal unveiled the Yellow Pages in the last year as an insurance industry directory allowing readers to look up subrogations, banks, insurance adjusters, contractors, restoration people, technology companies and more.

According to Katie Robley, publisher of claimsguides.com, “We looked at what was out there as far as competition … it didn’t work for us whenever we’d try to use it. Or if we looked at the SBC Yellow Pages, which is just a national directory, that was too broad. With our knowledge, we figured we could put a pretty good one together.”

Kristine Honey, ancillary services manager, noted that the idea for the Yellow Pages came from Insurance Journal Publisher Mark Wells. “It has been his brainchild for over a year and it took our VP of Technology, Josh Carlson, a good three months to create the templates and the actual site. The most important thing about having a directory like this is making sure the information is correct. We have hundreds of companies we post and those companies need to be looked up individually to make sure we have the current information. Without the correct phone numbers, it is completely useless for readers.”

As for growth in 2005, Robley noted that the Yellow Pages will be heavily marketed and “We’re going to hit it head on.” According to Honey, more than 4,000 companies are listed in the various categories. The top number of them include managing general agencies, wholesalers, as well as defense lawyers. We’re really looking to focus on the other categories and get them built up as well.”

Those interested in getting listed can input their company information and be listed in up to three categories. Basic listings are free and for a very nominal fee, they can upgrade to one of three packages – silver, gold or platinum.

Silver will place them above the free listings and offer links to the Web site and also e-mail. Gold is the same except with a logo and gets placed in front of silver. Platinum is the same as gold, except it includes the company description and placement above all gold, silver and free listings.

For more information on the Yellow Pages or to get your company listed, visit insurancejournal.com or claimsguides.com and click on the Yellow Pages at the top of the sites.