Small businesses often rely on local consumers to form the backbone of their customer base. While technology and online advertising offers a worldwide platform for businesses bold enough to take advantage of it, your local customer base is still likely where the majority of your profits come from. Local business doesn't just come to you though. You'll need to spend some time and energy on marketing to them.
SEO
SEO is what determines where you show up on search engine results pages. Unfortunately for most businesses, according to Perficient, the vast majority of searchers don't go beyond the first page of search results. If you can improve your SEO, you can improve your rankings and your visibility. People have a tendency to prefer to support local businesses. If you show up as a result of a local services search, there's a good chance you'll see that turn into a sale. Improve your local SEO rankings by using keywords, including a "services in location" format. Don't forget to use basic SEO strategies. Include local links on your pages and be sure to manage your reviews.
Use Business Directories
Online business directories are a powerful tool for businesses who want to appeal to a local market. According to VapeRanger, Yelp attracts over 100 million visitors a month. Google My Business is another popular directory, though there are many others worth looking into as well. To take advantage of these directories, you'll need to claim your business listings. Make sure that one of the things you include are accurate business citations, which include your business's name, address, and phone number. This will help consumers successfully find and contact your business. Incidentally, this should help you perform better in your SEO endeavors as well.
Get Involved in the Community
Online marketing efforts are important. Sometimes you need a more personally involved touch though. If you want to build a loyal customer base, you need to be likable as a business. According to BenchmarkONE, one of the ways you can do that is to find things you can do to get involved in your local community. This shows you value the community that supports you and that you're willing to give back to them. It also puts you right in front of the people you want to support your business.
Marketing to your local consumer base is a smart move for small businesses. You can do this by using SEO to improve your search engine rankings and using business directories to improve your visibility. Don't be afraid to do some legwork either. Getting your business involved in your local community is a good way to build positive, lasting relationships within your local market.
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