Brian JonesHaving your business listed in a local directory is useful even today – it can boost your online ranking and can help you gain potential customers. If this sounds interesting to you, then today’s your lucky day!
We scouted Edmonton for its top local directories and considered factors such as their range of categories, how widespread their audience is, and (of course) the quality of their listings.
So, if you’re ready to see how you can boost your exposure, let’s take a look at the best business directories in Edmonton.
1. Yellow Pages Canada
| CATEGORIES | Agriculture, Fishing & Forestry, Apparel & Accessories, Automotive, Business & Professional Services, Computers, Communications & Electronics, Construction & Renovation, Education, Entertainment & Media, Family & Community, Finance & Legal, Food & Beverages, Health & Medicine, Home & Garden, Industrial Supplies & Services, Personal Care, Public Utilities & Environment, Real-Estate & Insurance, Shopping & Specialty Stores, Sports & Recreation, Transportation, Travel & Lodging |
| WEBSITE | https://www.yellowpages.ca/locations/Alberta/Edmonton |
| CONTACT DETAILS | Advertising Toll Free: 1-877-553-6883 Customer Service Toll Free; 1-844-875-4290 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday to Friday: 8:00am – 8:00pm |
With roots dating back to 1886, the Yellow Pages perhaps best defined what a directory is, with the distinctly colored pages setting it apart from the rest. Now that it offers its services in digital formats, it is still one of the most comprehensive directories available in any location today.
Surprisingly, the Yellow Pages still has its traditional print version today, marketing it as a backup directory or a resource for those who like to keep it old school. However, its more popular offering is the searchable digital eDirectory, which is a standalone app that works on your smartphone or tablet.
That’s not all, though – it also has a self-branded YPapp that helps you discover businesses in your vicinity with content-rich listings, reviews, and maps. It also has a Canada411 app that’s centered on finding people and businesses.
We’re not big fans of the fact that they have three different apps as it seems rather redundant and quite frankly, confusing. We don’t see the reason for having the Canada411 app when you already have a digital eDirectory.
Nevertheless, we like the Yellow Pages because you can, ironically, build your own “directory” of your favorite local businesses when you sign up for a free account. This makes it easy to recall your favorite establishments or those that you plan on visiting in the future.
However, Yellow Pages is marketing heavily towards businesses to upgrade their memberships to attract more customers. It offers business owners a space to create media-rich listings and the chance to have exclusive access to its NetSync platform that helps manage multiple listings with a single landing page.
Yellow Pages also has digital marketing advisors on hand who can help businesses create a stronger presence in the digital realm, offering to manage social media accounts and optimizing SEO content.
Nevertheless, despite the intense competition for attention on the Internet today, Yellow Pages has held its ground and still holds its place as a top directory to find businesses and people. We think it is comprehensive and has great perks for business owners, earning it a spot on our list.
Pros
- Comprehensive directory of local businesses
- Partnered with Google for increased web traffic
- Good service offers for businesses to upgrade listings
- Still manufactures traditional print version
Cons
- Three different apps seem redundant
- Text-heavy website
2. Edmonton Downtown
| CATEGORIES | Agencies, Brokerages, Insurance Services, Automotive, Beauty & Aesthetics, Dining & Food Services, Health and Wellness, Information Technology Services, Legal Services, Media & Communications, Parking and Transportation, Photos, Books and Music, Realtors, Builders & Developers, Religious, Scientific, Technical & Research Services, Shopping and Retail, Specialty Stores and Services, Staffing, Travel |
| WEBSITE | https://www.edmontondowntown.com/business-directory/ |
| ADDRESS | 10121 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, AB T5J 4X6 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | Phone: (780) 424-4085 Email: [email protected] |
The Downtown Business Association (DBA) was founded in 1985, with the mission to maintain and help develop downtown Edmonton as a bustling metropolis.
Some of their initiatives around the community include sponsoring festivals and events annually to raise awareness for local businesses. If you’re an entrepreneur in the area, it’s a fantastic way to introduce yourself to potential new customers.
Now, since DBA’s goal is to develop the culture and economy of this part of the city, they’ve created a directory of all the locally owned businesses. At the time of writing, they have over 662 businesses listed in their directory, divided into 18 easy-to-navigate categories.
A majority of their directory listings revolve around shopping, legal services, construction, real estate, and media. Browsing each listing reveals basic information such as contact info and their location on Google maps.
They also provide information on attractions such as night markets, parks, and plazas, which otherwise wouldn’t receive worthy exposure except for word of mouth. While Edmonton Downtown is not a tourism website, it wouldn’t be hard to confuse it with one.
They highlight current events, festivals, and dining options for residents and tourists to check out, even offering short descriptions of what to expect. We would have liked to have seen this same kind of detail on their business directory though.
Despite this, it’s still one of the best business directories in Edmonton and earns a spot on our list. Not only do they provide more exposure for local businesses, but they also strive to elevate and develop downtown into a thriving area.
Pros
- Can keep tabs on current events and festivals
- Promotes local businesses and city economy
- Newsletter subscription is free
Cons
- Focuses on downtown Edmonton only
- Features locally owned businesses only
3. Info Edmonton
| SERVICES | Events, Attractions, Dining, Shopping, Services, Accommodation, Areas |
| WEBSITE | https://www.infoedmonton.com/ |
| CONTACT DETAILS | Phone: (780) 465-3362 Email: [email protected] |
Info Edmonton is a useful website for both tourists and locals – especially for those who are looking for a one-stop shop for information about the city. Whether you’re searching for the latest events or need to find a service, they’ve got something for everybody.
Operated by the Tanner Young Publishing team under WHERE Edmonton magazine, this directory offers an insider’s look of what Edmonton has in store for its visitors. They cover a wide range of the usual main categories: shopping, dining, art, attractions, and entertainment.
One of their unique categories explores Edmonton by area for its shopping, attractions, and hotel offerings. You can choose from Downtown, North Edmonton, South Central, South Edmonton, West Central, and West Edmonton.
Each of the main categories is further divided into sub-categories, which makes browsing options with a common theme easier. For example, under the “Dining” category, you’ll find the sub-categories for “Restaurants” and “Bars & Nightlife”.
You can browse each category’s listed businesses alphabetically as well, which is helpful if you already know what you’re looking for.
However, the small text is a bit of an eyesore, so you’ll probably end up using your browser’s “find” function.
Nevertheless, each listing has a short summary of the business, a link to a website, address, and basic contact details.
We’re a little disappointed with the listing descriptions since we think they could use a little more flair. There aren’t any internal or external links to a map either, so you can’t conveniently get directions.
However, Info Edmonton shines in its events space listings, which have a diverse calendar of happenings around the city. We especially like that anybody can submit an upcoming event for consideration to be posted on their site, which can help local businesses reach out to a wider audience.
With over 450 listings for shopping options alone as of the time of this writing, this gives you a clue as to how large their directory is. With a useful events calendar and the ability to explore each area of the city, Info Edmonton has landed a spot on our list of the best local business directories.
Pros
- Organized directory covering the whole Edmonton
- Extensive list of local businesses
- Lots of events and happenings to keep track off
Cons
- Text on the website is small and tiring to read
- No maps on business listings
4. Edmonton Made
| SERVICES | Apparel & Accessories, Artwork, Bath & Body, Custom, Electronics & Media, Food & Beverage, Furniture & Home, Jewelry, Notebooks & Stationery, Pet, Restaurant/Cafe, Retailer of Local Products, Services, Sports & Fitness, Toys & Hobbies |
| WEBSITE | https://www.edmontonmade.com/ |
| ADDRESS | Edmonton Economic Development Corporation 3rd Floor, World Trade Centre Edmonton, 9990 Jasper Avenue |
| CONTACT DETAILS | Email: [email protected] |
Edmonton Made is an online directory that primarily focuses on businesses in shopping and retail. Founded in 2016, they help budding entrepreneurs connect with their customers and likewise help them find suppliers for their businesses.
Managed by the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, their main objective is to support local businesses. They do this by providing exposure as a way to recognize their contribution to the city’s economy.
Thus, by helping these small homegrown businesses flourish, Edmonton Made helps the city evolve and progress.
It’s not that hard to register your business here and have your listing appear in their directory. The only objective requirement is that your business has to be located in Edmonton’s city limits or within a 100km radius.
So, are you a passionate, hard-working entrepreneur who offers high-quality products? Are you willing to collaborate with and support the Edmonton community?
Well then, you’re a shoo-in to be included in this exclusive directory!
Anyway, once you’ve been accepted, you’ll receive a badge to add to your site. You can also use that on your product’s packaging.
For the physical stickers to be put on your storefront, you’ll need to pick these up from a specified location. A small nitpick, but we would have liked these to be snail-mailed instead.
Nevertheless, the stickers come in three cool colors and will let everyone know you’re part of a growing community of entrepreneurs passionate about their crafts and their city.
Moreover, Edmonton Made offers customers “Gifted” – a limited edition gift catalog containing a collection of local Edmonton products ideal for gift-giving. These catalogs also feature write-ups and are sold at some of the businesses listed in their directory.
In short, if you’re a homegrown Edmontonian entrepreneur, you may want to consider this community of like-minded people. Their directory features only products made in the city and is a true aspiration of what it means to “shop local”.
Pros
- Lists a number of Edmonton businesses within 100km of the city
- “Exclusive” club of local entrepreneurs
- Members receive a free badge and stickers
Cons
- Only lists Edmonton businesses and products
- Focused solely on shopping, craftsmanship, and retail
5. Go East of Edmonton
| SERVICES | Attractions, Dining, Events & Entertainment, Facility Rentals, Fishing Charters, Itinerary, Media, Movie Theatre, Outdoor Adventures, Retreats, Roadtrips, Service & Repair, Shopping |
| WEBSITE | https://goeastofedmonton.com/ |
| CONTACT DETAILS | Phone: (888) 632-8755 Email: [email protected] |
Go East Edmonton is run by a small tourism marketing team with over 25 years of experience in the field. Their training includes certifications from Accredited Destination Marketing through Travel Alberta and Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI).
Although focused on tourism and promoting Edmonton, they have quite a comprehensive list of businesses in their directory. Surprisingly, they also have listings of services and repair shops (although it focuses mainly on RV parts and trailers).
Each individual business listing at Go East Edmonton is quite comprehensive, featuring contact information, websites, addresses, and even a local map of how to get there.
They do use Open Street Map instead of Google Maps, unfortunately. This may make integration with your mobile phone a bit trickier for directions.
The map widget also isn’t as smooth as Google Maps, so viewing a business’s general location can prove to be quite difficult.
However, you can filter the map by category so that you can see only the type of business you’re searching for, whether it’s a movie theater or a restaurant.
Take note that as their name implies, Go East Edmonton’s listings focus on the eastern side of the greater Edmonton area only. Despite this, you’ll find plenty of businesses on it, from movie theatres to fishing charter companies.
Still, while this is a fantastic directory of businesses, it really only works if you’re looking to explore the east side of Metro Edmonton. They offer guided “roadtrip” tours or itineraries that take you along specific highways to discover hidden gems in the area.
Pros
- Rounds up the best tourism-related businesses
- Business directory mostly focused on recreation or points of interest
- Offers guided road trip tours through Edmonton’s highways
Cons
- Focuses on East Edmonton only
- Caters more to tourists
FAQs about Business Directories
This concludes our list of the best business directories in Edmonton. We hope you found our list helpful for your needs!
If you have any suggestions or recommendations kindly drop us a line, and we’ll make sure to check it out.
Now if you’re a business owner, another important marketing tool is to create your own business cards. Fear not, we’ve got you covered with this list of the best business card printing in Edmonton to help you out.
