Are you the owner of a business that is considered to be a locally owned and operated one? If you are, what forms of local advertising do you use? If you are like most locally owned and operated business owners, there is a good chance that you use local phone books, newspapers, and the mailing of fliers. While these are nice local advertising methods, you need to think about incorporating the internet into your local advertising plan, if you haven’t already done so.
When it comes to using the internet as a form of a local advertising, the process is often referred to as search engine marketing. An example of search engine marketing involves creating an online website for your business. By having information about your business displayed online, your prospective local customers can find it. If you have enough information about your business, they may just show up; however, a study conducted by Nielsen//NetRatings showed that 68% of survey participants got the telephone number of a business and many intended to use it to contact the business in question. In short, the more information you supply, the better.
Although it is nice to know that search engine marketing can help your business, you may be wondering exactly how so. What you need to realize is that many consumers don’t just use the internet to shop online anymore. Instead of using their local phone book, many consumers are now using the internet to search for and familiarize themselves with local businesses, like yours. Out of 2,866 people surveyed, 70% stated that they had used the internet, namely a local search, to help them find a local business. What does this mean for you? This means that prospective customers are using the internet to learn more about your business, like where it is located, what you offer, and so forth.
What is nice about this form of local advertising is that if individuals who come across your business online like what they see, they will likely come to your place of business or contact you for more information. For many consumers this is nice, as it can save them time and wasted trips. Should someone find what they want with your business, you will likely have acquired a new customer, thanks to the internet and a local search.
While getting one new customer, from a local search is nice, did you know that you will likely get more than one? Another study conducted showed that Nielsen-WebVisible found that 54% of survey respondents would recommend a business that they found in a local search to those that they know. The top methods of referrals were recorded as being verbal recommendations, as well as emailed links. What does this mean for you? It means that even if an individual doesn’t come across your business’s online website through a local search, they may still hear about it from someone else who did.
In short, there are a number of different ways that search engine marketing can help your business. An increase in customer counts, customer referrals, and profits are just a few of the many reasons why you should be relying on local searches, search engine marketing, and online local advertising.
