The latest trend in online marketing focuses on local search. While there are plenty of business site directories that act like online telephone directories, local search is more than a telephone directory or classified ad site. It's a community-oriented, user-friendly approach to finding businesses close to home.
Recent studies have shown that an increasing number of consumers are researching local businesses online before heading out to make purchases. As large search providers like Google and Yahoo! build their local search resources, expect consumers to refine their search habits.
My research indicates that in most local areas, more than 70 per cent of all businesses included in local search listings do not have their own Web sites. To compensate, the search services combine information from telephone directories, classified ads, and news articles. As many as 20 or 30 Web results may be offered for a company, but a consumer may not find an informative, official Web site for an interesting business.
So, here is a three-point plan any business should use to capitalize on local search:
One: Control your visibility with your own Web site
Maximize your visibility through local search services with your own Web site. Choose a service that lets you create an attractive but simple, multi-page site quickly and with little hassle.
Your company Web site should consist of at least three pages:
1) An introduction page tells people the name of your company, what your company does (a brief mention of products and/or services), and who your market is (e.g., "Serving vendors around the world since 1971").
2) An "About Us" page tells people who you are, what you do, how long you have been in business, and what qualifies you and your business to be their choice.
3) A "Contact Us" page tells people how to reach you. Include a link to a mapping service so they can find your address easily. Contact information should include telephone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses. Include names for department heads if appropriate.
Although many business operators believe a Web site should be loaded with graphics, music, and animation, usability studies show that users tend to leave Web sites that don't get to the point or provide information clearly and without hype. Just start with a simple Web site.
Two: Take charge of your local search listings
Did you know that you can create your own listings in the local search services? Yahoo! will give you a free 5-page Web site just for listing your company with their service.
http://listings.local.yahoo.com/
Google's service is more like a classified directory, but you still have direct control over how your listing appears:
https://www.google.com/local/add/login
But don't stop with their Web listings. Take charge of the Yahoo! Mobile and Google Mobile services, too. People are increasingly using their cell phones to search the Internet.
http://wap.oa.yahoo.com/
http://www.google.com/sms/howtouse.html#business
Study how these companies advise their visitors to use the services. For example, if you operate a pizza parlor, make it possible for people to find you by searching for "pizza" and your zip code. It should be as simple as that.
Three: Offer Incentives To Other Businesses With Web Sites
Develop a plan that promotes your Web site to your community by offering incentives to other businesses to refer their visitors to your site. Create an attractive discount coupon image that other businesses can offer to their visitors. Build your own coupon page for companies you routinely refer your customers to.
Your goal is not to exchange coupon links with other local businesses. Your goal is to build referral relationships. If you offer shoe repair services, build referral relationships with local shoe stores. If they don't have Web sites, help them learn how to create those Web sites.
Be willing to link to other local businesses on your pages without requiring a link back. Show your visitors that you are a resource. When your customers come see you, talk to them about your Web site and ask them how you can make it a better resource for them.
Michael Martinez has been actively designing and promoting Web sites since 1997. Michael has assisted small and mid-sized businesses in developing their online marketing strategies since 1999. He is the author of innovative research articles and papers, most recently including "On the Googleness of Being" and "Google: Changes in Ranking Strategies", which have influenced the search engine optimization industry's strategies for years.
http://www.michael-martinez.com/
What do you do next! you have been working so... Read More
This article explains in detail the various issues related to... Read More
Writing articles for submission and distribution on the internet is... Read More
DMOZ editors are supposed to be professionals in the category... Read More
The first step to starting a profitable online business of... Read More
1. Using Hidden Links to increase subscribers or for a... Read More
1. Use reward programs to keep people revisiting your web... Read More
1. Tell people you have a siteThis might seem blindingly... Read More
1. Selling To Everyone Means You Sell to No OneIf... Read More
1. Start your own internet radio station. It could be... Read More
The Google patent application submitted in March, 2005 has generated... Read More
Do what I did. Learn these 10 insiders' ad writing... Read More
Finding the successful keywords is crucial in order to get... Read More
So your having a hard time turning your visitors into... Read More
So what is all the talk about having a lot... Read More
Hundreds of millions of people have spent thousands of dollars... Read More
Do you know why your website is not making money... Read More
This article reveal the same techniques that many Internet marketing... Read More
Web Site Awards are given from other sites to reward... Read More
Directories are important to your ranking and success with Search... Read More
Promotion... also known as selling. Not an easy task in... Read More
You may have created and established the best Web site... Read More
Getting a loyal traffic base for your website is an... Read More
Do you want to advertise about your website?Wait and have... Read More
Many people miss out on some very valuable promotion opportunities... Read More
Giving away content is a powerful way to get free... Read More
Every good marketing plan should have a section on ongoing... Read More
Many business owners and online marketing experts focus their efforts... Read More
"One in a million". What do I mean by that?... Read More
Here are some simple and easy tips on how to... Read More
If you've ever been to a popular forum hosted by... Read More
Hardly a day goes by that I don't get an... Read More
People are always wanting to attract more visitors to their... Read More
How much does an advert in Yellow Pages cost? How... Read More
1. Create a free ebook directory on a specific topic... Read More
Web site owners are realizing Jack Humphrey's Power Linking isn't... Read More
Making money with your web site is the dream and... Read More
Don't you just hate the process of exchanging web site... Read More
Would you attempt to use a cell phone with a... Read More
Assuming that it is legal to do so in your... Read More
Well I started out with seven, Free and low cost... Read More
You can learn many things you didn't know about your... Read More
Free For All Links Pages have been given a bad... Read More
One of the best ways to promote a Website inexpensively... Read More
Is your business lagging behind?Are you frustrated?Cheer up.Here are 10... Read More
Have you ever submitted your ad to an FFA page?... Read More
Here are the website promotion tactics to reinforce and increase... Read More
The first step to starting a profitable online business of... Read More
Some "experts" say they don't exist. Apparently we have become... Read More
Promote your website using articles - Internet is all about... Read More
The number one key to getting business in the real... Read More
Google is the most popular and most used search engine... Read More
It's a fact. While most link partners are scrupulously honest... Read More
When I first began attempting to make money on the... Read More
Ezine publishes have large amount of loyal subscribers. If you... Read More
1. Using Hidden Links to increase subscribers or for a... Read More
So, you don't have a multi-million dollar advertising campaign? You... Read More
With the web today you "sorta haveta" have a rank... Read More
You may have created and established the best Web site... Read More
Do what I did. Learn these 10 insiders' ad writing... Read More
Most people who are not doing well on the internet... Read More
Once your web site is done, it does you little... Read More
You know the drill. Everybody claims that in order to... Read More
I created my first website in 1995 - it was... Read More
Once you have finshed designing your website, you want to... Read More
In the current competitive climate, tourism-dependant businesses in Coastal Maine... Read More
Web Site Promotion |