The most important part of a yellow pages ad is the content, then once the ad copy is optimized to generate the most leads, only then can the ad design can be considered.

Unfortunatly, most business owners do not really know much about placing their ad in the yellow pages. They wait till the salesperson shows up to place or renew the ad and then let the salesperson talk them into putting all sorts of extras that may or may not get more leads for the business.

So here is a list of tips of what not to do when placing a Yellow Page Ad:

• If none of your competitors are in the yellow pages then you probably should not be there either. There is a reason, the ad must pull in more revenue then the cost of the ad. If no one else is there they probably know something.
• Do not let the salesperson write your ad - they are there to sell you the most expensive ad that they can. A salesperson is not an ad copywriter!
• Don't let your ad look bad compared to the others. Although ad content is primary, if your ad looks small or boring next to your competition, chances are you will not be generating as many leads as you can.
• Your business name is not a headline. You need to get the readers attention so you need to write a headline that tells them why you are better than a competitor. Do not put your business name as the first line that people read.
• Don't forget to remind the reader to call. Phrases such as 'Call now for free phone consultation', or 'Call now for a free quote', or 'Call to make an appointment'.
• Don't wait till the last minute to create your ad. Once your ad is published, you are stuck with it for a long time. Make sure you show your potential ad to as many people as possible to get feedback before you publish.
• Don't get too fancy. Your primary goal is to get people to read your ad. Make sure that your text is easily read by using a simple font.
• Don't make your ad look like everyone elses. You want to stand out. Look at what the other guys have and create a design that will contrast and stand out against theirs.
• Don't forget to talk directly to your target customer. If you write generic ad copy, no one will call. Write ad copy that attracts exactly what the reader is looking for.

By not allowing these 'don'ts' to creep into your yellow page ad design, you will already be far ahead of your competition. Continue reading for many more articles about yellow page ad design.