The city of Pasadena is a flourishing place where you can start and build your business. With an estimated population of over 138,000, the city is home to more than 19,000 business firms, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Pasadena is a go-to destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment in Southern California. South Lake Avenue, for example, is home to more than 200 businesses, including top retail stores, boutique shops, major department stores, and restaurants. Other known places to shop include Playhouse District, Paseo Colorado, Old Pasadena, and, of course, the Hastings Ranch Shopping District located in Foothill Boulevard.
While Pasadena is an ideal place to grow your retail business, one should also consider the tight competition in the industry. One way to drive more sales to your business is to market your products online, or what we call digital marketing.
As a top marketing agency in Pasadena, we at Cybertegic will give you a few tips on digital marketing strategies for your local business. And by following them, you will see your ranking increase on local search results, which will drive more in-store customers to your retail store.
- Sign up or claim your business in Google Business Profile.
- Optimize your website for local search results.
- Connect with your local customers through social media.
- Start your local campaign ads on Google Ads.
- Offer promotions to customers who will visit your store.
- Sign up for local listings and business directories.
- Start your Yelp Business Page.
1 – Sign up or claim your business in Google Business Profile.
Google Business Profile is the company’s own local listing which enables businesses to create or claim their business profile. It allows managing business information shown to search users using Google Maps and Google Search. Aside from business information like address, contact number, and website, a business can also upload photos of products and add call-to-action to the page.
What makes Google Business Profile powerful for any local retail business is its ability to give your business information to your local audience. In fact, according to BrightLocal.com, 64% of consumers turn to Google Business Profile to look for a business’ contact information.
2 – Optimize your website for local search results.
With 90% of online consumers using the internet to find a business in their local area, you must build and optimize your websites for local search results. Your location or business address should be in the website’s footer to optimize your website for local search results. The address should be 100% similar to the address you input to your Google Business Profile and other listing sites.
It is also essential to build your web pages for your local customers. This means adding local keywords and writing content for your local audience. You should also look for a mobile-responsive theme as more consumers who search for local information use their mobile phones. Also, make sure your website delivers a good user experience.
3 – Connect with your local customers through social media.
Social media channels like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter are great marketing tools for businesses to connect with their customers. Aside from building brand awareness, you can create your brand’s identity and voice through your social media accounts. Social media is a powerful marketing channel. In fact, 73% of marketers believed that social media marketing has been very effective for their business.
Facebook is considered one of the best sites to list your business in local search marketing. So if your retail store still doesn’t have a Facebook page, then this is the best time to create one. Make sure to add important business information, upload photos, and continuously post updates about your business.
4 – Start your local campaign ads on Google Ads.
If you have a budget that you can spend on paid advertising, the best place to go is Google Ads. You can then set up a local campaign to target customers within your area that are searching for businesses near them. Google’s local campaign shows across different Google networks, including Google Search, Google Maps, Google Display Network, and YouTube.
With 62% of all generated search queries in the United States coming from Google, using Google Ads is the best way to get your brand and business on top of the search results. This is why if your business just started and you’re looking for ways to get leads right away, Google Ads can definitely help you.
5 – Sign up for local listings and business directories.
Citations and links are other factors that Google considers when ranking your website or GMB profile on its search results. Local listings and business directories are crucial in sending signals to Google that your business is indeed local.
Create listings on popular business and local directories such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, Merchant Circle, Four Square, Bing Places, and Better Business Bureau.
6 – Improve your customer service to get reviews.
Good reviews on your website and local listings can increase customers’ trust in your brand. In a survey done by Trust Pilot in 2020, nine out of ten online consumers read reviews online before purchasing. Thanks to Google search results, shoppers can quickly check the feedback from people who bought from your brand with information readily at hand.
Reviews are also a factor Google considers when ranking your Google Business Profile and website on local search results. So you definitely want to have a good number of positive reviews published in your listings or website. Make sure you offer your customers the best customer service possible. And as they say, a happy customer will be willing to leave a review even if you don’t ask for it.
***
If you need any help in your local marketing campaign, Cybertegic offers digital marketing services from search engine optimization (SEO) to paid marketing advertising. We are a digital marketing agency in Pasadena, Los Angeles, with over 10 years of experience in online marketing to help you grow your retail business.
