3 Easy Ways to Grow Your Local Presence Online
Your business might be open, but that alone won’t entice customers to keep coming through the door from morning until night. The increasing technology that’s available to small business is something that can be used to your advantage, though, and this can help you stay competitive.
Did you know that more than 50% of searches for businesses “near me” encourage a customer to visit the location? This is a huge opportunity and is extremely important for successful marketing. If you’re looking for ways to grow your local presence online, read on to find out more about marketing and search engine optimization.
Invest in a Website and Social Media Accounts
“While many businesses prefer to use traditional types of marketing, it’s still important to have an online presence. Some businesses might feel that they are successful enough without having to focus on it, but it’s possible that they can get even more patrons in the door if they spend just a few days or even a week devoted to it,” remarked a representative from Doctor Dominguez.
Don’t let your social media accounts or website become inactive. Customers don’t have a reason to follow you if your last post was two years ago. Also, if your design isn’t current, it might discourage visitors instead of encouraging them.
Don’t Discount the Importance of Showing Up in Local Searches
It’s essential to have your business optimized for local searches because mobile searches rely on location by default. Even directories that are intended to help customers find you can be helpful like Google My Business.
Other search engines like Bing and Yahoo! have similar sections that feature businesses. There are additional websites that are more niche-related, like Houzz and Angie’s List, that are invaluable when it comes to customer trust.
Try to Have More of a Presence Than Your Competitors
It never hurts to have an idea of what your competition is up to online. Find out which social media platforms they are using and try to determine which are working the best for them. The goal is not to copy them, but you’ll get inspired as far as what small businesses are posting, and you might even get a better idea of who their target audience is. Look at the SEO keywords that they are targeting the most.
See how they’re talking with their customers on their various channels. Consider every way that you might be able to improve those efforts and try to figure out how you might be able to translate them into your own. Look for opportunities. If your main competitor is big on video content, see if you can use a different angle by writing blog posts.
In short, taking a few calculated actions can help your business rise above the competition. Have an online presence, be attention worthy, and offer evidence demonstrating why people should choose you instead of other options. If there is an area that your competition is missing out on, see if you can focus on developing that part of your website or social media presence. Once you establish your online presence, you will be set up and running, customers will be able to find you, and it will be a marketing tool that operates mostly on autopilot.