In the past, simply creating a basic website and going live was an achievement. The site simply kept your business visible in a busy world. Inside the virtual world, however, technology slowly became more complex. Your website with an HTTP prefix is now an archaic designation. The trend today is converting to an HTTPS address. Don’t hesitate to take on this technology trend. There are important reasons why your site should be HTTPS designated.
In traditional forms of advertising we can see a big focus on telling a story so that it can connect with the customer. Connection to the customer is key and that loyalty in connection is what will eventually sell products. In new media telling a story is important as well but the main focus for advertisers who are utilizing platforms like Twitter and Facebook for advertising, is to get the customers to share stories about their products organically.
It can take some time to really get a company and their products to this point. It takes establishing brand loyalty and intense focusing on people within a products target market and area demographic. To target these groups many online marketers are turning to local SEO to produce engaging promotional material that targets people within a company’s demographic or their local area.
When a company has found a group of people or a local market that is extremely loyal it’s very important that they continue to market their new products to this group directly and this is what local search marketing is all about. By taking the time to focus posts on social media at a local audience and with customers directly, customers can begin to feel that loyalty connection with the company. When the loyalty grows stronger customers may begin to organically start talking about products as they are released and recommending them to friends and family.
As customers begin to talk about a companies products this is perhaps one of the best ways to see an increase in sales. Perhaps one of the most effective types of advertising is word of mouth advertising. We may see products each and every day and not even consider trying them until we hear about the same product from someone in our peer group. The same can be said when someone shares a product on Facebook. Getting a share and allowing customers to market your products for you is one of the greatest results that can come from social media marketing beyond increased sales numbers which will certainly follow.
Blend Local Search Marketing Ltd, Overseas House 66-68 High Road, Bushey Heath Hertfordshire WD23 1GG, Phone: +44 203 114 5119
Tell a Good Story
In May of 2012 Google had 11.3 Billion explicit searches – up 3% (Comscore) It’s be reported by Google that 20 percent of all searches across its properties are of local intent. And not surprisingly that figure jumps up to 40 percent when we’re talking about searches from mobile devices.
What is more interesting to note is that 60% of local searches that take place on Google result in a sale. So now more than ever, it is clear to see customers are searching online and buying offline and if your business isn’t found in the top 3 places in Google search results you are missing out on huge profits now and in the future.
Elizabeth is a busy working mom. She is looking to have her daughters teeth straightened and wants to find a local orthodontist. Will she:
a) Take here daughter out of school and drive around to 3 or 4 orthodontists to ‘check them out’ and have a free consultation. Along the way incurring fuel and parking costs and the loss of time from both school and work.
or
b) Search Google for an Orthodontist. View the top 3 websites, watch their videos, read their reviews, check them out on Facebook and schedule an initial consultation. All from the comfort from her home or office while enjoying a nice cup of tea.
Of course option b) wins every time.
Giovanni and his friends want to find a sports bar to watch the big game. Do they:
a) Walk aimlessly around the streets asking for directions and recommendations and miss the first half…
or
b) Take out the smartphones and search on Google for sports bar in their current location. They also check out foursquare for local deals and discover a sports bar nearby that has a 2-4-1 offer on bottled beer during the big game.
Again option b) wins every time and Giovanni and his friends enjoy their beers and the game while the bar owner is raking in healthy profits from his new found customers.
You customers are out there looking for your products and services online and from the mobile devices and if you’re not on page 1 of Google in the top three positions you are missing out on huge profits every single day.
– Firstly you need to claim your Google+ Local listing (formerly Google Maps and Google Places) and complete the page with your business name, address and contact details, opening times, method of payment, photos and videos.
– Secondly you need to have a website and ensure it is optimized for the keywords people are typing into Google to find your products and services.
– Thirdly you need to have a search engine optimization strategy that Google likes and will reward you with higher results on its pages.
– And fourthly you will need to get more social on the web on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Foursquare and Pinterest.
When you take action and consistent interaction you will start seeing results in your business as more customers find you a whole lot easier.
We are passionate about helping local businesses succeed online and have a proven track record getting business in the UK and USA more customers and more profits. We can help you to!
We are currently offering serious business owners a complete overview of their business online that includes: a complete website analysis, profit keywords recommendations, social media influence/engagement and search engine optimization.
We pull no punches in our reports and tell you honestly, warts and all, the exact state of your online presence. You are free to take our recommendations and hand them to your webmaster to implement or enlist our help. Either way you are under no obligation but we believe our continued help and advice will work wonders for your business.
Blend Local Search Marketing Ltd.
Can Local Businesses Afford Not To Be in The Google Top 3 Search Results?
