The business world has been a little shaky for several years. Beginning to pick up slightly, the economy is still slightly turbulent for small business. We’re all looking for ways to run our business with the lowest costs vs the highest efficiency that we can get. Today, with so much up for grabs, it’s certainly not the time to be cutting back on your budget for advertising, but it is a good time to reevaluate it to ensure that the budget that you do have is being used to your best advantage.
Local business advertising is done the best and cost effectively online. It is considerably cheaper-even if you have to hire someone to write your copy or content for you–to advertise online using content to help you to become more visible. In fact, in many cases online advertising is free of charge. The right content and social media copy will go a long way toward helping your company and your products to become more visible and more profitable.
The reality is that local businesses in particular need to advertise online. If your prospective customer can’t find you, they are going to find your competition.
Your small business website is in place, but is it working for you? Does your local business website help to increase the volume of your sales or to broaden the scope of your business? Is it visible, easy to find and does it reflect well on your company?
If it doesn’t then maybe it’s time for a few changes. Even if you’re only doing business in a small local area, your prospective customers are online and actively looking for someone who is in your business. If they can’t find you, it stands to reason then, they are going to find your competition.
The Right Content and Keywords
Ensuring that they can find you means taking a few steps to make that more easily accomplished.Using some localization, adding some local keywords to your content is a good start. People don’t typically search for a local business by using global keywords. For example, if you were seeking a Nottingham carpet cleaner, you would type in just that. Using keywords such as those in your online content will make you easier to find.
Consistency in Advertising
One of the things that you can offer is a consistent business listing that sees every website reflecting your business address and phone number updated and current. No matter how you have them listed, every website should list them exactly the same in every instance. One of the reasons for that is that it is a distinct red flag for a prospective customer to see a website listing that gives two or three different addresses or phone numbers for the same business in various places.
Small businesses who move a great deal or who change their information frequently may be businesses who are not above board. They tend to make companies or individuals think twice before hiring them.
Know Your Competition in the Local Area
The chances are good that you have some local competition who is vying for the same business that you are. Know who they are. The best way to do that is to have a marketing expert in your corner who can help to research not just the main competitors but those who are up and coming and may be more competition in the near future.
Get Help With Your Marketing
While we all hear that SEO and SEM isn’t rocket science, if you’re consistently being beaten out in the SERPs by your competition, it’s time to get some help with local business seo and your local business website in order to create a more visible and more profitable future for your company.