The internet has dramatically changed how small local businesses market and sell their products. You are empowered with tools to get your name out there and establish your online presence. These tools include online local business listings – Google Places, Bing Business Portal and Yahoo! Local. If you are a small local business and have not claimed your business listings with the top providers, you are throwing away the “Big Bucks”. A Google Places listing if well optimized may land you on the first page of search results in what’s called the 7-Pack. That’s comparable to being on the cover of a popular magazine. To top it off your Google Places listing is Free!
Free Marketing and Promotion “If it’s free it’s for me”
Have you ever paid for marketing your products or services? You know how expensive it is – we all do. Most of the online business listings and directories are free – no cost. Once you claim your business listings you can ensure the information is correct and accurate, select industry specific categories, and add photos and videos. Another really cool feature of Google Places is a printable “Coupon” that you can add to your Place Page – share new specials and discounts with your customers “it’s so easy”! Bing Business Portal has a comparable feature –Deal Editor. Create a deal and display the details and offers. You can choose from options including displaying the “dollars off”, “dollar amount” or the “percentage off”. When your offer is ready, it can be displayed for free in the Bing search results, showing the business listing page and your business Facebook page. This is just a snapshot of what you can do with local business listings and directories. What’s really great – you won’t have to dip into your marketing budget since it is free.
Start off with Google Places
We recommend you start by claiming your Google Place page. Google Places is the Ferrari of local business listings. When your potential customers do a search for your type of business on Google, you want them to find you quickly and easily. Claim and optimize your Google Place page so that they can find you, enhance with pictures and videos and monitor who has searched for your business. Google wants you to succeed that’s why they provide a Google Place page for all businesses. They are great at coming up with new ideas and programs to enhance Google Places and to help grow your business. It is a wonderful community to be part of – participation is a “win-win” for local businesses. Once again it’s FREE – you wouldn’t throw away “Big Bucks” would you?
Let us know if you have any questions – we welcome your comments too!
