10 Ways to Market Your Local Business Online

by AltaLocal.com

“ Learn 10 things every local business

should be doing online to

succeed offline.”

Did you know? 99% use computers to

search for local businesses

75% of mobile and 90% of tablet users search for local businesses

Use of phonebooks and mailers for business information declining

What does it mean for you?

When people search online, can they find your business?• Is the information accurate?• Are competitors more visible?

Every local business needs to include the internet in its marketing plan to maintain relevancy.

10 Ways to Utilize the Internet

Website Social Media Reviews Listings Craigslist

Coupons Community

Sites B2B Local Deals Blogs/Content

Build a Simple Website Customers’ 4th most

expected feature, after phone, address, & hours

Helps generate leads, gives control over web presence & provides 24/7 representation

Should match brand and include introduction, business info, location, promotions, etc.

Be Active on Social Media 15% use social networks to

look for local businesses• 2/3 more likely to use a

business listed on social networks

• Helps you connect with community and improve visibility

Post promos, interesting content, start & join conversations

Free to Use

Get on Local Review Sites 72% trust online reviews like personal

recommendations 52% say positive reviews make them more likely to

use a business ¾ of people said they use online reviews to make local

business decisions Make sure your business is on:

• Search Engines: Google Places , Bing, Yahoo Local• Angie’s List• Yelp• Local.com• Merchant Circle• Niche Sites:

Urbanspoon TravelAdvisor

Use Local Business Listings With so many information

sources, hard to predict where customers will look

Get listed on search engines, online yellow pages, business directories, local directories, GPS databases, mobile providers, and 411 databases.

Comprehensive listing services can cover all listings bases

Post on Craiglist Widely used for local buying

and selling

Free advertising

Businesses can post items for sale, services offered, events

Categories for small business, skilled trades, and other services

Keep ads short and simple, link to website and/or reviews

Distribute Coupons Get new and existing customers in the door

Post on website, Facebook, Twitter, Google Places and community forums

Set up Facebook ‘like’ campaigns that reward customers with promos

Use Local Community Websites Nearly every community

has local websites • Community News• Forum Discussions• Local Networking

Many allow free or low-cost business listings and classifieds

Participate and get involved (focus on connections, not spam)

B2B Networking Network with other local businesses

• Important way to gain referrals, vendor contacts• Symbiotic relationships (ex. A plumber may have an

electrician he refers customers to and vice versa)

Use LinkedIn and MerchantCircle

Try Local Deal Sites Feature steep discounts in exchange for mass

exposure

Can boost business in off-times or introduce new customers• But avoid overreliance to preserve brand value• Determine what your bottom-line can handle

Popular sites include • Groupon, • LivingSocial• Tippr• DealsGoRound

Blog & Create Useful Content Provide content your customers can use

Blogs are easy to operate and valuable for SEO• Post about specials, events, employees, new products & more

Product tutorials, FAQs, and DIY articles

Use articles, videos, images, presentations etc to keep content fresh and interesting

Beneficial in building valuable customer relationships

Want more?

Read the full article at AltaLocal’s Blog

http://www.altalocal.com/10-ways-to-market-your-local-business-online

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