There is an 80% chance that you are reading this on your mobile and 20% maybe from laptop or tablet. So what does this metric mean? All information is at our fingertips and that’s the blessing of the internet on us. You can view any business detail from your mobiles on the go. Search engines ( Google, Bing, Yahoo ) are like our best friends, it has answers to all our queries. With the world moving so fast online, people are looking for businesses that solve their problems, needs and wants online. Need a salon nearby? A google search of “Salon near me” can fetch all detailed information about salons surrounding your area. Planning a hill-station vacation? A local search like “Homestay In Coorg” will fetch a list of Homestay options on the search result page.
People judge a business through it's customer Online reviews , business website information delivery and activeness in social media.
Any local business can take advantage of online marketing because it does not cost too much on your pockets. And if you are really thinking to give your business a digital identity, in the beginning, there are free tools that you can make use of. And these are like the building blocks of having a presence online.
Let’s look at 5 ways to build an online presence for your local business.
1. Google My Business:
Like the famous the term, “If you don’t know something, just “GOOGLE IT”. Google is the mother of all search engines.Your potential customers are looking for your business on Google Search Engine every single minute. So make sure you have your business listed on Google with correct name, address, phone numbers, maps, opening and closing hours. You can literally begin this as your first step towards getting your business online.
Google reviews from customers are trust factors that enhance your business’s credibility. So given a chance, always request your customers to write their honest reviews on Google. And Google My Business is ABSOLUTELY FREE to use.
State Your Business Listing Online.
2. Online Tie-Ups:
Second big step towards bringing your business to your potential customer’s eyes is through Tie-Ups with Big Online Marketplaces. If you sell products, you can tie-up with Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Big Basket, FirstCry and many big sellers. If you own a hotel/homestay, you can tie-up with Online Travel Portals like MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip, Booking.com, Airbnb, OYO and many more. If you are a doctor, you can tie-up with App like Practo. Online Tie-Ups are a major revenue generator for many businesses so far. There are e-commerce sellers who have made 6 figure sales and hotels that run successfully through Online Travel Portals.
Tie-Ups are again totally free to get listed, except they would charge a fixed amount of commission on sales. Which ideally maybe 10% to 15% with hotels/homestays, 10% to 30% on products.
3. Local Business Listings:
Submitting your business details to local area directories can help in the local search. Directories like Yellow pages, Yelp, local travel agents websites, just dial. Claim your local listings and verify if your business information is up to the point. It’s always good to handle your listings by yourself rather than giving it to an agent to own it. Most times agents can charge exorbitantly on customers without your knowledge, which in turn will hamper your business reputation.
4. Responsive Website:
Build your own web presence where you have complete ownership of showcasing your brand as you wish. In 2019, just a simple web page filled with information will do no good. Your business needs to have a Responsive Website (a website that optimizes for different screens - Mobile, laptop, tablet ) with proper navigation and loading speed.
According to Google:
88% of consumers use their smartphones to search for local businesses online
50% of users who find a business through a mobile device end up at its physical location
A major portion of your potential customers are searching for businesses on their mobile phones. And once they land into your website that is not optimized for the Mobile screen, your business will lose the customer forever.
People wait 3 seconds for a website to open, if it doesn’t 80% of them will leave then and there. So having a website developed by a good web developer or an agency is always a better option as they would know what exactly customers are looking for in your website. Optimized images, crisp and clear content, loyalty factors like testimonials, reviews, proper shop features with good product description, easy checkout page, correct contact details, maps, are information that drives customers to buy from you or indulge in services that you provide.
“Be where your customers are.”
5. Social Media:
#1 free tool to promote your business to a community of people. Social Media pages like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Youtube are online places where people interact and engage with others. You can easily capture your target audience ( potential customers ) here and promote your business's vision, mission, services, products through beautiful images, videos, gif’s, quotes.
“It’s better to be social in one or two platforms and go deep, rather be everywhere and not see any results.”
You need to be active and present only in those social media pages where your audiences are. If you sell fashion products, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook pages are ideal. If you are an artist or photographer, being present on Youtube makes genuine sense. If you sell professional services, LinkedIn and Facebook are by far the best social media pages to be in.
According to Facebook:
There are 1.52 billion daily active users on Facebook on average for December 2018.
There are 25 million businesses on Instagram and 32% of all internet users are on Instagram.
For more advanced marketing on social media, your business can be promoted through advertising. Facebook and Instagram ads can be targeted based on various demographic segments. If you are a coffee seller and want to target coffee drinkers in 5 km radius from your shop, Facebook ads let you target location based too. Paid ads with laser focus target can take your business to next level.
Conclusion:
If you are starting from scratch and have no idea what it is to get your business online, these “5 ways to build an online presence for your local business” guide will surely educate you enough to get started right now.