Local Internet Advertising Strategies

Local businesses are coming to terms with the fact they need to market on the Internet.  It is unavoidable.  If you want to connect with your customers, you need to be where they are, and more and more are online.  However, for the uninitiated, getting a presence on the Internet can be daunting, but it shouldn’t be.  There are opportunities for local businesses to get a presence online for free or for a minimal cost.  

The path that most local businesses follow is to hire a web designer and pay for an ineffectual web site that has no traffic.  A web site is worthless if no one every goes to it.  The problem with most web designers, is the fact they are not web marketers.  They tend to be graphic artist with no real experience in converting prospects into customers. 

So if you are a local business and you want to get started promoting your business online, I am going to give you some suggestions that won’t break the bank.  These are simple, do-it-yourself techniques that anyone with a computer can perform. 

1. Free Business Listings - List your business in the local versions of Google, Yahoo and MSN.  All three of the top search engines have a local version of their search results.  It is designed for regional search.  More importantly, it connects local customers to local businesses.  It is free to list your business. In fact, you can list your business, provide a detailed description, add photos, coupons, directions, method of payment, link to your site and email, and customers can click on an interactive map to assist them in finding your business and spending money.
2. Do-It-Yourself Web Sites - Do you know there are services that let you build your own web site for as little as $10 per month.  This is in comparison to paying a web designer thousands.  These content management sites provide wizards that allow you to contruct a web  site without having any knowledge of coding and programming.  You can have a site up in literally a hour. They give you full control to make edits on the fly. 
3. Cost Effective Pay Per Click Advertising - The most innovative form of advertising since television is pay per click advertising.  In a nutshell you advertising on keywords searched in on sites like Google and Yahoo.  You only pay when a person clicks on your ad and goes to your site.  In other words, you pay for results.  This form of advertisements grew from nothing to a multi-billion dollar industry in just a few years.  The reason why - the best return on investment of any form of advertising.  You can start up a PPC campaign within a hour, and can begin with as small of budget as you want.   The strategy is to advertise on terms local customers will search for to find local businesses.  A winning strategy. 

If you are a local business owner and are hesitant to get a presence online, I’ve just given you three reasons to start NOW!  The longer you wait the more you will lose market share to your competitors. 

You can start promoting your local business by going to Google Maps and getting your free listing.  Once you see how easy it is, proceed to list your business with Yahoo and MSN. If you don’t have a site, check out our Local Online Marketing Association Site Builder.  Once you have a site, start a PPC campaign for only $5 at Google Adwords.

It really is that easy to start connecting with your customers online.

Regards,

Fred

I recently watched a very interesting video interview with Bryan Eisenberg, author of Waiting for Your Cat to Bark?  or Persuading Customers When They Ignore Marketing.  In the video he discusses the importance of photos within the framework of your web site.  See Video. 

When a person lands on your web site, you have seconds to grab their attention.  During this first “impression,” you need a strong and persuasive headline, and when it makes sense, an intriguing photo.  More important is the need for appealing photos in your product pages.  (more…)