More and more companies are starting to realize the importance of marketing their local businesses using the power of the internet; and it’s not surprising. Local consumers are using the internet more than ever to find local products and services that they need.
Therefore, businesses must do everything in their power to make sure they have a strong, professional presence there – it’s not something that can be ignored if you want to generate more sales for your business.
Although it’s not rocket science, building a solid online presence can seem daunting and time-consuming for offline businesses. But it’s not as hard as you think as long as you use the art of simplicity. Running a business can be very demanding as it is, so you need to simplify as many processes as possible to help reduce your workload and wasted time.
Simple Website Navigation – When it comes to your website, keep the navigation simple because people today are impatient and will leave if they can’t quickly find what they need. Make sure your navigation bar is easy to locate and include the important menu items that local consumers would be looking for. Also keep your website layout clean, keep the color scheme professional, and make sure your home page directly addresses the needs and/or wants of your target audience for the best results.
Simple Local Listings – Make sure that your business has a presence on all of the local directory listing and review sites. Claiming and verifying your listings is not hard, but it does take time to get the job done. They don’t require any design or any other seemingly complicated processes – the most important thing is that you claim them, monitor them, and respond to any reviews.
Simple Social Media – Although it may seem like something your business doesn’t need, social media has grown into a “must-have” for most companies today. Consumers are connecting more than ever with local businesses via social media. Therefore, it is important that you setup, monitor, and manage social media profiles so you can grab your share of the massive amount of social media users online today – many of them are right in your local area. Start small by getting on some of the top social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and then build from there.
Simple Email Marketing – Email marketing is a simple process that doesn’t take long to get going; once you start, email marketing can help you generate repeat sales from loyal customers. To get started, all you need is to get your customers’ email addresses, which can be done in your establishment or by placing an email opt-in form on your website. Once you get their email addresses, you can start sending them special discounts and coupon offers via email, which will keep them coming back.
These are just a few simple ways to utilize the internet to grow your local business. Whatever you decide to do, just keep the new processes as simple as possible and increase at a pace that is comfortable for you. You can also use the services of a professional Online Marketing specialist who can help you get the job done quicker and more efficiently.
Need help growing your small business online? Contact us to learn more David@StreetSmartSalesAndMarketing.com or call 858-442-3131
