According to Google, nearly 33% of mobile searches are related to location.
Additionally, as local internet marketing changes, searches for local places WITHOUT the qualifier “near me” have grown 150%, much faster than searches that include the “near me “ qualifier.
Customers expect immediate, accurate answers from their smartphones. When they ask a question, they want it answered now. 75% of smartphone owners use “search” first to answer their IMMEDIATE needs.
And Guess What?
They act on that information.
Nearly 66% of mobile phone users are more likely to purchase from companies whose mobile sites CUSTOMIZE their information based on the customer’s LOCATION.
Open Now
Search interest in businesses that are “open now” is up over 400% in the past 2 years.
Think about it.
When you’re in a strange place and are hungry, you might search for ‘Italian restaurants open now”. Either you dictate the question into the phone and have SIRI (or a similar AI) point you in the right direction, or you type it in the search bar. You assume that Google knows which Italian restaurants are closest to your location and are open.
How does Google know this?
You, as the business owner, have to tell them.
What does this mean for small businesses?
Business owners need to create and manage online properties that accurately reflect their company when marketing their small business on the internet locally.
Website
Your business needs a website that:
• is SEO-optimized, mobile-friendly, load quickly and is locally-focused.
• contains menus, opening hours, contact information, specials, event calendars and directions.
• has personality and shows that business’ connection with the local community.
• is constantly creating new content for their customers to enjoy, whether it be a new recipe book for restaurant customers or local real estate sales statistics for a real estate agent’s customers.
Social Media
Your business social media strategy needs social media profiles that mirror company information and locally promote the business using images, videos and other custom content to improve visibility and brand image.
Some examples are:
• images of houses sold, or staging tips that keep potential real estate clients engaged (if you are a real estate agent).
• cooking videos about how your restaurant prepares its meals and sources local produce, to keep “foodies” engaged (if you are a restaurant).
At LOCALSYNC, we are focused on getting local customers through your door. Every business has unique needs, so we don’t have specific “plans” for local marketing.
LOCALSYNC API and LOCALSYNC Pro services are a great way to connect your “brick-and-mortar” business with your digital business.
These two marketing “blocks” form the foundation of your local internet marketing efforts and should be in place before implementing a comprehensive local internet marketing program.
Having a correct and consistent business NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) online is essential for several reasons:
Helps customers find you: A consistent and accurate NAP across all online platforms helps customers find your business efficiently. If your NAP information is inconsistent, it can confuse potential customers and lead them to the wrong address or phone number, resulting in lost sales and a damaged reputation.
Boosts your online visibility: A consistent NAP is a critical ranking factor in local search results. Search engines like Google use NAP information to validate your business and improve the accuracy of local search results. When search engines can validate that your NAP information is consistent and accurate across multiple online platforms, it signals that your business is legitimate and trustworthy and can improve your search engine rankings.
Avoids duplicate listings: Inconsistencies in your NAP can cause duplicate listings of your business on various platforms, confusing customers and leading to negative reviews. Having a consistent NAP helps prevent duplicate listings, which can harm your online presence.
Improves reputation: Consistency and accuracy of your NAP can help to build trust with your customers. Having incorrect information online can harm your business’s reputation, making customers wary of working with you.
We believe fixing your online information first is the foundation for success.
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