If you choose to post a listing on a directory, I think it is worth your while to post in those directories which actually rank on the first few google pages. I briefly did a search for "piano tuning Illinois". There are plenty of free directories with free listings, such as yelp, yellowpages.aol, bing, angies list etc etc. I looked through the first 150 google listings (15 pages) and pianotunerbystate did not come up.
"Leave no stone un-turned", of course, but turn the big and important ones first.

Your best advertisement is your work!. If you do a good job, it will get noticed. Sometime it takes awhile, but when you consistently do quality work(and you always show up on time), you stand out.

There is no better advertising than satisfied customers. The best investment by far, their recommendations will pay great dividends for years to come.

Interesting case history on your Blog, Bob. I've posted a reply on Youtube.

Print ads may be seen as "pro-active" and websites and yellow pages as "reactive".

To find your website, or your physical yellow pages listing, a person has to be LOOKING for a piano tuner. But if you have a print ad in a local newspaper or advertising magazine, it may plant the thought "Oh it's time we got the piano tuned" or "Oh, you know we couldnt find a good tuner, here's an advert from one, maybe we should call him/her."

Completely agree with Jurgen about making sure that you are listed in all the online directories.

A website is really a necessity these days. To the extent that one wonders what is wrong with any business that doesn't have one. It's all very well having a site though. Two other things have to happen: People have to FIND it, and once they've found it, they have to CONVERT to a customer. It is not enough, then, just to have a single-page website with your phone number. Your site is a way of communicating with people and hopefully converting them into customers. You can use your web site to express something of your personality, and to engage with people. Two birds are killed with one stone if you make sure to have lots of well-written, relevant content (and to keep it updated). Firstly, people realise that you know your stuff, and secondly, according to Google's own recommendations, having lots of good content is the number one way to get high in the Google organic search result rankings.

It should not be necessary in this day and age to spend great sums of money on either building and putting a website online, or on "Search Engine Optimisation". Online website building and hosting services make things easy.

Allied to the website, it's good to have Facebook, either a Page or a Profile, to increase the likelihood of people interacting with you. Blogs, at one time the "in" things, are pretty much dead, it seems. Twitter is "in" - not a route I've yet gone down myself.

Thanks, David, I'll have a look.

Just the fact that you have a website address makes your business look more legitimate.(most don't even look at the website)

Yellow pages does not work. I agree. But you still have to at least have a small ad in there so that some can find you

Free Internet directory listings certainly cannot hurt. A simple search and your listing should pop on up - along with everyone else. Consequently, you may or may not get a call. Listings in plenty of e-directories might have a scattergun effect - more calls might result. Directory advertising is a lot like Yellow pages. The typical caller may only take valuable time from your day by searching for the cheapest price. If you are not, then someone else might get the business.

A simple phone number listing in the business section of YP - in case a regular customer loses your card - is probably wise, though I know of some who dropped the phone book completely and there was no negative result to their business whatsoever.

The best directory by far is the "rolodex" of piano teachers and educators, college music departments, piano dealers (and salesmen) and music ministers and directors. Once you're in - really in - you will be very busy with both their business and their referrals as well. There is not a more cost and time efficient method of doing business.

If you are going to have a website you need to get one with google analyticals. Each day I can get in there on site traffic and see who looked at my website, from what town, the time they looked, what they looked at, keywords used to search, IP address, what the search engine was like a PW forum or whatever. If it is local I can almost bet that whichever business day is next that someone will call.

I've used Bandzoogle since forever as my website host. It works great and it is biased towards musicians anyway. If you are using other things like Yelp or putting your street address for your business in there be very careful. Your competitors can and will write negative reviews of your business. Same for Angies list, They send me these online " rate a business" email all the time to rate businesses I never used. Scary !