Did you know that 78% of location-based mobile searches are likely to result in an offline purchase? Local search has been on the rise in recent years. In fact, it was reported by ChatMeter, that “near me” or “close by” mobile queries have grown over 200% in recent years, leading marketers to invest in local search marketing. It is an effective way for small businesses to drive customers and increase their sales.
Local search marketing is also ideal for brick-and-mortar stores to promote their business online and increase foot traffic. If you want to grow your local store through online marketing, here’s a brief guide on local search marketing.
Here are tips on how to promote your local store online from us at Cybertegic, a local marketing agency in Pasadena:
- Create local business listings.
- Create an online store.
- Optimize for local SEO.
- Generate content for your brand.
- Join local communities.
- Improve your customer service.
1 – Create local business listings.
For your business to show on local search results, you need to start creating your local business listings. Adding your business to these listing platforms has proven to be the most effective method to promote your local store online.
Here are the best places to list your business:
- Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile is a business listing channel where marketers can list their business and information on Google. This will allow users to easily find their store on Google Maps or Google Search. It is completely free and can be very hopeful in your local search marketing.
- Yelp
Yelp is a one-stop-shop local platform that helps online consumers discover and connect with businesses near their area. It is free to sign up on Yelp and add important information such as your business address, contact information, and website URL. However, if you want to unlock other features, you might want to subscribe to Yelp Enhanced Profile.
Facebook has over 2.91 billion monthly active users, which makes it the most popular social network in the world. Businesses are using Facebook to widen their audience reach and get more leads online. It is also the best place to increase your brand awareness. Plus, creating a business page on Facebook is free. You can further boost your posts by using Facebook Ads.
2 – Create an online store.
To effectively promote your local business online, it is best that you have an eCommerce store or website. However, building a website is not free. But you need to think of it as an investment.
There are many platforms you can use to create your website. But here are the best platforms you can use:
- WooCommerce
- Squarespace Online Stores
- Shopify
- MonsterCommerce
- WixStores
- Magento
- Weebly eCommerce
3 – Optimize for local SEO.
Once you have your online website, the next thing you need to do is optimize it. Since you’re targeting local customers, local SEO or local search engine optimization is the best way to do this. This means optimizing your website, its content, and back-end elements so it will appear when local online users are searching for a related product or service you offer on search engines.
For a complete guide on how to start your local SEO, you can refer to this article: How to Start Local SEO Marketing for Small Businesses. If you’re not sure how to do local SEO, you can hire a trusted local digital marketing company in your area.
4 – Generate content for your brand.
Content marketing is the best way for online consumers to engage with your brand. This marketing strategy comes in different forms, but the most popular one is the creation of blogs. Blogs, in fact, are said to bring 55% more website visitors and 126% more client leads. But aside from blogging, you can also create videos, infographics, email content, press releases, and podcasts.
But as the content remains one of the most effective ways to gain organic traffic, it is best to start with one. Popular blogging platforms include:
- WordPress
- Blogger
- Tumblr
5 – Join local communities.
Local communities are the best way to learn more about your local consumers. But when making this approach, don’t just advertise your brand and products. Instead, you need to provide value, so people in the community know more about your brand. When you give value to people, they begin to trust your brand, which becomes a solid foundation if you want to build a brand community for your store.
Another way to connect with your local community is by working with influencers within your area. Connect and negotiate with them to promote your products to their followers. This will not only help you promote your brand locally but also create a relationship with local consumers in the area.
6 – Improve your customer service.
Remember that customers serve as the backbone of your business. Without them, you wouldn’t have a business to run in the first place. So make sure that you have excellent customer service alongside a quality product.
For small businesses that want to grow, customer service should be the top priority. When consumers like your customer service, they are likely to return and purchase again from your store. According to Hubspot, they found out that 93% of customers are likely to make repeat purchases with brands that offer excellent customer service.