Yes, potential customers use their directory to look up businesses that provide services that those potential customers need.
Businesses need to pay to be listed in said directory.
If the directory did not exist, those potential customers would look up businesses that provide the services they need somewhere else, like they might google it and be directed to my awesome website.
Therefore, because the directory exists, you need to pay for it if you want those customers. If it did not exist you would still have access to those customers and would not need to pay.
But… If you scored some business by being listed there, they’re not totally useless?
Yes, the BBB model needs to die, but get customers however you can.
That’s not really what I’m saying.
Yes, potential customers use their directory to look up businesses that provide services that those potential customers need.
Businesses need to pay to be listed in said directory.
If the directory did not exist, those potential customers would look up businesses that provide the services they need somewhere else, like they might google it and be directed to my awesome website.
Therefore, because the directory exists, you need to pay for it if you want those customers. If it did not exist you would still have access to those customers and would not need to pay.