In October, 2008 research was released that showed the first source used for research of locally based services was search engines at 31%, followed by print yellow pages at 30%. This is the first time that the print yellow pages has been surpassed for local research information and is a 4 point shift towards online local research over print.

Coupled with these figures it was also shown that consumers still continue to research products online and buy offline. Following the local searches, consumers tended to still contact businesses by phone (39%), visit the business (32%) or contact the business through online means (12%). It clearly shows the trend towards online research and offline purchasing.

It is now more important than ever to be establishing an online presence and marketing that presence to ensure your brand and business is represented as best as possible towards your potential customers.