21 Things You Can Do to Help Potential Customers

21 Things You Can Do to Help Potential Customers Find You Online

I remember just a few short years ago thinking that if a small business didn’t have a website, they were pretty much invisible to most people trying to find them. That idea is still valid. Unfortunately there are still plenty of small businesses who don’t even have a website as part of their online presence. But a website is no longer enough. Read on to understand a few more pieces you should be using to help potential customers find your business online.

I understand that small and local business owners have their hands full. So I also understand that this list might seem overwhelming to a lot of people reading it. But if you aren’t acting on at least some of the items listed here, you could be losing out on 100′s of potential customers who are searching for what you have to have to offer. You don’t have to do all of the things I’ve listed.

Simply tackle one or two items at a time, doing what you can yourself and hiring an expert to do the rest. Customers within your local geographical area will more easily be able to find you online and subsequently visit your business, if you do.

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21 Things You Can Do to Help Potential Customers Find You Online | Techiemuse.com

WEBSITE

Ask yourself these important questions: Is your business website professionally designed? It is mobile compatible? Does your website have an integrated blog?

Think of your business’ website as ‘home base.’ It is your business’ home on the Internet and should reflect your business and your brand in a professional manner. If you don’t have a website, get one. It doesn’t have to be fancy-shmancy with a lot of expensive bells and whistles. But it does need to look professional and as though you are a legitimate business.

Purchase a domain name for your business. Nothing says “amateur” more than a web address like www.MyBusiness.Freewebsite.com. Purchasing a domain can cost as little as $15 a year. Hosting a small website can cost less than $100. Take a look at my resources page if you need some help. (*Note there are some affiliate links on the page.)

Use WordPress to build your website; create a business website that has an integrated blog. WordPress is free and one of the most used web development platforms on the planet. Once you learn a little about how to use WordPress, it is relatively easy for anyone to update and maintain a website and blog.

Purchase a premium WordPress theme with a responsive design so that your website is easily viewable on any computer or device. I personally use and recommend the Genesis Framework and StudioPress themes. All of their most recent themes are responsive – meaning they are compatible for viewing on any device. The people who are searching for your business aren’t always doing so from home. They are using their smart phones and tablets. A non-responsive website is not easily viewable on a mobile phone. Don’t frustrate the people who are trying to find you! Provide a website that easily loads and displays on their device.

SEARCH

On what page is your business ranking in search engine results? How are you ranking with regards to different keywords? Are you ranking for geo-specific keyword searches?

Everything you publish on the Internet (on your website, Google+, other social media networks) should take into consideration the SEO (Site Engine Optimization) keywords you wish to rank for. If you don’t know how to do this, hire an expert to help you. Its that important.

Don’t forget to use different variations of the SEO keywords and keyphrases you are trying to rank for. For example, Hudson Valley Plumber is a different keyword/phrase than Plumber in the Hudson Valley. You should be trying to rank for both (and others) in every piece of content you publish online.

If you’re a local business, your SEO keywords should be geotargeted to include the area(s) your business serves. Doing so makes it much easier for potential local customers to find you on the Internet.

GOOGLE PLACES and

GOOGLE+ LOCAL for BUSINESS

How are you showing up in Google searches? Are you connecting with your customers via Google?

Claim, optimize and manage your Google Places account. Google Places for Business is how your business appears in searches. It is the information that Google uses to display your business’ information. Whether you claim and manage the information or not, your business is there. Why not use this free service to your advantage.

Setup your Google+ Local Business Page. A Google+ Local for Business Page is the social aspect of Google. It is where you can connect with your customers and potential customers on Google. Its not a matter of choosing a Google Places listing versus a Google+ Local page. If you’re a local business with a physical address, you need both! Google+ Local allows you to connect with your customers and potential customers online through Google - the largest search engine on the planet.At a minimum, both the Google Places and Google+ Local accounts should provide an accurate description of your business, as well as the services and/or products you sell. You should also include your address, all contact information, your hours of operation, etc. In addition, the Google+ Local Business Page should include photographs, videos and blog post updates. You can also encourage your loyal customers to leave reviews.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Do you have a social media presence? If so, is your brand consistent across all social media networks?

In addition to Google+ Local, your business should be on at least one other social media platform. Creating a Facebook Page for your business is the most obvious choice as Facebook pages tend to rank high in search results. Also, people will actually use Facebook to search for local businesses in their area. Consequently, make certain you are using geo-targeted tags and keywords when you set up your page so you can be found.

Other social media networks you should consider are YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Flickr, and many more. I don’t recommend trying to use all of these social media sites as its an easy way to quickly get overwhelmed. However the ones you do use should also incorporate geo-targeted keywords and tags.

Make certain your message and brand are consistent across all social media sites. This includes your business name, address, phone number, business hours, business description, profile image, etc.

Even if you have no immediate plans to interact with your customers on the various social media sites mentioned above, you might want to at least claim your business’ name on the major sites. If at some point in the future you’re ready to expand, your business name will be available to use. If you do stake your claim, even if you don’t use the site, at the very least you should go ahead setup your business’ profile so that if its found, potential customers can still find you elsewhere on the web and in real life.

LOCAL SEARCH DIRECTORIES

Is your business listed in the major local search directories? Did you know that your business may appear on sites like Yelp, but unless you manage the page, your profile may be less than exemplary? Are you managing your online reputation?

Hopefully, you’ve already claimed your Google Places for Business listing and setup your Google+ Local for Business page. But there are other local search directories you shouldn’t neglect. Claim your business’ page or profile on geo-specific directories, websites and apps like Yelp, Local.com, FourSquare, Yahoo Local, City Search, Yellow Pages, Angie’s List, etc.

Keeping consistency in mind, setup and manage your profile on every site you think your customers and potential customers visit.

Create a Google Alerts for your business to receive email updates of anything published on the Internet pertaining to your query.

If you find a negative comment or review online about your business, don’t ignore it and don’t try to have it deleted. Manage it. Apologize. Contact the reviewer if possible. Try to make the situation right. When other customers read your sincere attempt to make right what went wrong, it will go a long way to helping your online reputation.

Ask customers to write online reviews, and offer a discount or coupon to anyone who has already provided a positive review. Don’t forget acknowledge and publicly thank any reviewer who provides positive feedback about your business.

ENGAGING CONTENT

Are you publishing engaging content that helps your customers and potential customers connect with you and your business? Are you publishing content that is easily sharable?

Publish engaging content that will help people get to know who you are, get to know your business, and make them want to connect with you. Hopefully, you’ve either already created or you are about to create an integrated blog on your business website. Use the blog to share content about your business that other people might find interesting. Don’t forget to share on your blog and social media sites, the content published by others you find interesting.

Photographs and videos are viewed more often and shared more frequently than content that is text alone. Make certain that every blog post and social media post you publish has a sharable photograph attached. Don’t forget to add video to your online content. People are more likely to watch a video in its entirety than read content that is only text. Don’t forget to encourage your customers to share photographs that pertain to your business on the various social media and geo-specific sites you are participating in.

Publish a press release whenever your business is launching a new product or service, or holding an event. Help people discover what is happening so they can then become a part of it.

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