Although the Internet is often heralded as a platform for globalization — something that connects people from countries and cultures from around the world — recent times have demonstrated the importance of local business listings and other regionally focused aspects of online marketing. Facebook Check-in, the meteoric rise of Foursquare and Yelp, and the star power of Google My Business prove this point.
There are three main aspects to these listings for local businesses in Peoria:
- Directories and address
- Content of your listing
- Customer reviews
Let’s look at each of these in more detail.
Directories and Address
Your street address is very important, as it indicates where you are physically located, and which other businesses are close to you. Of course, your location is important for people to find you and for the listing to be shown to potential customers in your area.
Your listing in directories will automatically be recognised and often syndicated. Google, for example, draws data from these directories and displays them in the search results. In many instances, directory listings may be created by someone else, but they do need to be verified by the owner. So, if you see your business listed somewhere and you didn’t create it, you don’t have to worry — you can go through the listing claiming process or contact the directory directly.
Content of Your Local Business Listing
The content of your listing is also important, as it shows what kind of products and services you provide. First, be selective when it comes to choosing your category and the keywords for your business — these are the products and services that your ideal customers are desperately searching for. In the listing itself, you’ll want to give your potential customers the right amount of information (not too much, not too little). You can also add photos and videos if you have them available. The more your potential customers can find out about you, the better it is for your online presence.
Customer Reviews
The review function is a truly innovative feature of online business listings. It is now supported by most local directories, and it can be the best friend (or worst nightmare) of a business owner. Keep in mind that potential customers are much more likely to get in touch with you if they know that others are extremely pleased with your product or service. And on top of that, in many cases, your listing will show up in search results far more often than others if you have more reviews. This means that it is crucial to implement a strategic plan to ask past and current customers to leave a positive review about your business.
In case you get bad reviews for your business, it’s recommended that you respond to the reviewer as soon as possible — they might just have a small issue that you can sort out quickly and easily. And, even if it’s a more significant concern, you will actually realise what your customers think of you and what you can do to make your business better.
In summary, creating local business listings for your business is a great way to boost your web presence. Of course, these listings are only a small piece of the internet marketing puzzle, but they are still a great way to get started.
Professional Listings Management Agency Serving Peoria
One of the best ways to build a local online presence and create an effective sales funnel is by using listing your business in local directories. If you would like to know more about the ins and outs of local listings management in Peoria, contact us today!