Local Business Marketing

Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Implementing a local SEO campaign is one of the first steps we take when launching a client’s online marketing strategy. We first ensure that a client’s website is properly and fully indexed by the major search engines that determine rankings, which involves submitting an XML sitemap to platforms like Google Webmaster.
We specialize in optimizing Google+ Local Business Pages, with appropriate images, video, description and other related factors that can get you in the top of search result and attract highly targeted customers to your business.

Let’s start with the ‘why’— specifically, why is local search important?

82% of local searchers follow up offline via an in-store visit, phone call or purchase (TMP / comScore)
74% of internet users perform local searches (Kelsey Group)
61% of local searches result in purchases (TMP / comScore)

Think about that for a moment — three out of four people searching for a business are looking for something in their local area, and almost two out of three local searches result in a purchase. Local search is all about intent to buy. So if you want to catch those potential customers in their moments of need, your business needs to rank in the top of relevant search results.

Most people think search is just about the big name search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.) but that’s simply not the case. Discovery of local business through queries happens all over the internet.

Information about your business lives all over the web. Important details like your business name, address, phone number, category, services, hours of operation, and all the other information that matters to someone searching for a business can be found on hundreds of websites.

On average, people are almost three times more likely to discover information about a business on third-party intelligent services like Facebook, Google, Yelp, Foursquare and Citysearch than on the business’s own website. For restaurants, that number jumps up to almost 10 times!

So how does local search work?

In this video, I’m joined by my co-worker, Duane Forrester, VP of industry insights for Yext, who spent years working inside the search engine at Bing. He knows exactly how search works. I personally have spent years, not only as a small business owner, but as an agency owner that worked with small businesses — helping them with digital marketing.

Feeling like you’re treading water with your small business and not making progress towards your goals?

Or are you having trouble choosing business goals to work towards this year in the first place? We all want to be successful owners of profitable small businesses, but how do you get there from where you are?

If you want your small business to be more profitable than ever before, here are some suggestions for how to make it happen. And remember; building a successful business is a marathon, not a sprint!

01 Focus on Customer Service

According to a survey conducted by American Express, 78% of consumers have canceled or not made an intended purchase due to poor customer service. Other studies have shown that it takes several positive customer experiences to make up for one negative one.

Given that loyal customers are much easier to sell to, make good customer service a priority. Examine your current customer service and make the changes that need to be made to ensure that your small business is providing service superior to that of your competitors, whether it be investing in staff training, revamping your return policy, or basic improvements such as responding promptly to voice mail or email from customers.

02 Build Word of Mouth for Your Business

Whether you operate your business in a small community or in a large urban center, word of mouth is more important than ever for business. Most consumers turn to the net to search for reviews of businesses before deciding where to shop, so building a good reputation is vital to the success of your business.

How do you get positive word of mouth? By providing good, professional service, building and monitoring your local (and online) reputation, and gaining publicity by giving back to your community by supporting/sponsoring local organizations and charities.

03 Expand Your Marketing Efforts

Effective marketing is key to increasing your sales, but you don’t have to break the bank to promote your business. There are many inexpensive ways to market your products and services, including:

Creating and using a promotion kit.
Sending out promotions with your invoices.
Joining professional and/or business organizations.
Involving the newspapers in your grand openings, moves, or charity events.
Giving free workshops or classes related to your products/services.
Developing business partnerships and doing cross-promotion with complementary businesses.
Cold calling (yes it can still work!).
Advertising your business on your vehicle with a vehicle wrap.

04 Build Your Online Presence with a Business Website and Social Media

Creating a professional looking website can be quick and easy nowadays and your small business needs to be in the online space; Surveys by Ipsos MediaCT and Accenture indicate that more than 70 percent of consumers research purchases online before buying in a store (The Globe and Mail).

A simple website that describes who you are, what you do, and how to contact you will suffice for many small businesses. At a minimum, your site should contain:

Your logo
Your business name
A summary of what you do – your products and services
Your contact information
Your address, including a Google Map link
Your mission, e.g. “We make the best pizza in town….”
Testimonials from customers

Depending on your target market, social media can be a great way to promote your business.

05 Cut Your Business Costs

Despite government claims of “low inflation”, business costs for everything from office space to vehicle expenses seem to be always on the rise, so keeping expenses in check is a crucial task for business owners.

Keeping track of expenses is time-consuming and tedious, so wherever possible use technology to make the job as easy as possible. For example, there are a number of mobile apps for expense tracking, including some of the newer cloud-based accounting applications that allow you to automatically add expense information into your accounting system by snapping pictures of receipts with your mobile device.

Annually or semi-annually review your major costs, such as office space, business insurance, staffing, and vehicle expenses. If you are in an area with abundant available commercial space, think about relocating, or if you don’t need a storefront convert to a home-based business.

Review your major supply costs regularly and always look for discounts or ways to pool supply purchases with other businesses to save money. Make reducing expenses part of your job description, and involve your employees.

06

Go Mobile

If you do nothing else mobile-wise this year, you need to make sure that your online presence, including your business website, is mobile friendly, as ever-increasing numbers of people are surfing and searching with their phones – even when they’re at home.

But there are two other trends that your small business could really profit from. The first is mobile marketing. There’s a whole range of mobile-specific strategies you could be using to reach your target market with great effect, from text message advertising and mobile display ads through having an app designed for your own business.

The second is mobile payment systems. The choices for your small business are really expanding as Apple Pay and Google Wallet join the field previously dominated by Square, Intuit GoPayment, and PayPal. Even Canadian Tire is getting into mobile payments. Using phones to pay is a significant convenience to customers but your small business could also realize considerable savings from being able to use a mobile POS system.

07 Use the Cloud

There is no doubt that Cloud computing has leveled the playing field for startup businesses, but the serious advantages that using the cloud provide for “ordinary” established businesses is not always discussed.

Cost savings and access from anywhere are the biggest advantages to moving some of your business processes to the cloud. If, for instance, your business changes from a desktop small business accounting program to a cloud-based accounting application, you would no longer have to install desktop software (saving IT costs for installation, backups, etc.) and you can access your business accounts from anywhere, including from mobile devices (in fact, most small business accounting software vendors have moved to the cloud and no longer offer desktop software).

There are some disadvantages to cloud computing too, of course, but if you haven’t started using cloud storage and/or applications yet, make this the year that you at least investigate its potential.

08Find and Keep the Right Employees

Attracting and retaining the right employees is one of the most important things you can do with your business. While hiring and training employees every other week might be business as usual for a fast-food restaurant, most successful businesses rely on hiring quality staff and keeping them for the long term.

09 Update Your Business Plan

You did make a business plan before starting your business, right? Right? A business plan is vital for startup businesses for many reasons, including testing the viability of your business idea and securing debt or equity financing.

If you haven’t made a business plan it is not too late. Successful established businesses update their business plan annually to review accomplishments (or lack thereof) and decide on new goals or directions.

The financial health of your business is summarized by the income statement, the cash flow projection and the balance sheet, which are contained in the financial section of the business plan. From there you can determine ways to make your business more profitable by increasing sales and/or reducing losses or cutting expenses. If you want your business to be more successful you need a plan for how to get there.