There are looming problems for hard copy business directories. The directories' market share has slowly begun to erode as people look to the internet for their information.

According to the Kelsey Group, a US yellow-pages research and consulting firm, the internet accounts for about 10 per cent of directory look-ups and 2 per cent of revenue. The group estimates the internet will account for 30 per cent of look-ups in five years, and "those dollars are going to follow to internet-information providers".

Online business directories are not to be confused with and substantially differ from online search engines. Online business directories exclusively list information about businesses and associated products and services. Search engines list public domain information, which may include some businesses.

At a glance, the obvious difference is the additional town/suburb location box not seen in online search engines. Some online search engines are now attempting to attract paid business listings but are unlikely to compete when it comes down to results. Online business directory search results will generally outclass most search engines. Cick here to view Derek Stockley's top business directories

Founded in September 2001, and officially launched in July 2002, HitCity® Pages has really taken off and now has one of the highest volume visitor traffic in Australia for an online business directory. We believe it's our commitment to peak effectiveness from day one and we've taken the time to develop an Australian online business directory that is attracting a scale of business participation and a level of quality that has totally eclipsed the rest.

Our ambitious goal is to help consumers find what they want to purchase and without frustration. With businesses, we aim to be a viable alternative to our major competitor and an invaluable tool to connect buyers to sellers.

Our directory consists of a high quantity of relevant sites and includes our HitWords feature; specifically targeted key words associated with business listings to help customers easily match their needs to businesses and most importantly to then find those businesses more directly.

And we're absolutely committed to our listed businesses by rolling out mass marketing campaigns that includes advertising across the internet, on radio, in magazines etc, which means strong name branding and a higher public profile guaranteed to deliver growing visitor hits to our listed members.

We're confident people will look-up HitCity Pages ahead of traditional hard copy directories. That's a bold statement but our confidence is in our unique EzyFind software. It's our relevant, business listing format and user-friendly business search engine that makes the difference. People tell us our search engine is such a delight to navigate and so easy to use. They say they'll return again and again.

Click here for more information about advertising with us.

HitCity Pages is the trading name of HitCity Pty Ltd. ABN 95 080 152 969, proudly a wholly owned and operated Australian company.