Should I pay to advertise my business online?

Question: Should I pay to advertise my business with an online directory?

Answer: The business owner who asked this question did not have a website yet and thought perhaps listing his business with online directories would be a good way to get some web exposure.

I disagreed.

Here's why. If someone finds his company through an online directory the next thing they will most likely want to do is look at his website. Since he doesn't have one, they will probably count him out. They will look at his competition, who does have a website, then call them.

I advised him to spend his money on securing his domain name and web hosting. He told me he has had web designers offer to create a site for $800-$1000 but that is not in his budget yet. Since he has a shoe string budget I suggested he host with a site that offers website templates so he can quickly get a site up for little money. 

By developing a site from a template he can start to create a web presence for his business. As his business grows he can budget for a better website and decide if he wants to advertise with the online directories.

In today's world we want to know as much as we can about the people and businesses we spend our money with.  An online listing without a website just doesn't give enough information and in my opinion would just be a waste of money.