Ethical Business Directories: The Pros & Cons

Can you remember the last time you saw a Yellow Pages in the wild?

Much like how we seem to be ditching paper flyers and advertising in favour of QR codes and hyperlinks, so too have we left behind the need for a bulky compendium of every business under the sun. The internet has provided us with a far more elegant method to advertise the best and most ethical businesses that meet our customer’s needs:

Ethical Business Directories.

Much like regular business directories, these websites list pages for business, products and services who operate ethically and sustainably.

But are these climate conscious directories all they’re cracked up to be?

Keep reading to find out more about the pros and cons of joining an ethical business directory as a business, and whether it’s the right thing for you and your business.

The Cons & Things Stuff to look out for

Is the directory itself considered a reliable source?

If an Ethical Business Directory turns out to not be ethical or sustainable themselves, you might be doing more damage than good for your own brand by aligning your name with theirs. Particularly when it comes to ethics and sustainability, lots of organisations want a slice of the increasing interests consumers are paying in eco-friendly companies, including ethical business directories themselves. So make sure they’re in it for the right reasons, and not just because they’re kindwashing.

What’s their vetting process like?

Vetting processes are the bread and butter of any business directory, but they’re especially important for ethical business directories. For something as subjective as ethics and values, any respected ethical directory needs a rigorous and clear standard of guidelines and requirements that must be met by any prospective listed business.

If these processes are too relaxed, and you might not be able to say with confidence that you’re being listed alongside the most ethical and sustainable of businesses. It also might be worth doing some digging into the businesses that are already listed in the directory you’re looking into to see if they come up to the standard of your own business.

The ethics of paying to play

The majority of business directories require a fee from their listed businesses in order to be advertised. Some directories will go one step further, charging a greater price for the top spots on the front pages of their websites. This pay to play approach to business directories is exactly the kind of profit over people attitude that has no place on a platform used to display only kind and ethical businesses. That’s why joining the Kind Currency business community is not only free, there is no tiered membership model. The only thing we ask in return is that you provide directory users with a unique discount or deal for them to redeem with your business.

The Pros

Marketing & SEO

Appearing in a business directory can work wonders for your SEO efforts. If this directory displays links to your website (which it definitely should), these inbound links that don’t share your businesses’ domain name is a great way of boosting your own page’s domain ranking. And when it comes to getting your name out there, business directories can introduce your brand to a brand new audience you might not have been able to reach with your own marketing strategy.

Reliability and validations

The most trustworthy recommendations come from those who have nothing to do with the thing or person they’re recommending. This is one of the biggest benefits of joining an ethical business directory. Customers understand the value of a third party putting their stamp of approval on a service, product or business. Directories build the trustworthiness of your brand.

Find your people

By joining a business directory that really shares your beliefs when it comes to people and the planet, you will also have positioned yourself as a brand that cares about the communities it operates in. Not only will this give you access to shoppers eager to support truly kind businesses with their money, you also become part of a community of like minded businesses who you could tap into for support, partnerships or connections.

Helping you reap the rewards of kindness

Kind Currency believes that businesses who go above and beyond to prioritise people and the planet should be rewarded. And we believe that this reward should come in the form of growing a loyal and kind conscious customer base who want to support businesses just like yours. So if you’re a Kind Business looking to grow your audience, champion your brand and boost your profits, all whilst tackling poverty and climate change, get in touch today to join the Kind Currency Business Community.