Local Online Marketing
WOW! If you are a small business owner and have experienced any type of downturn in the growth of your business, it’s safe to assume that you aren’t properly leveraging the power of the internet. Before you jump headfirst into the world of online marketing, however, there are some things you must consider…
Internet marketing, on the surface, isn’t that different from a lot of the offline marketing and advertising methods to which you are already accustomed. In simplified terms, there are only three or four main steps to making money and growing your small business online:
- You need to get eyeballs in front of your offers (“Prospecting”)
- You must give your audience a compelling reason to take a specified call to action (“Selling”)
- You have to continually stay in front of your audience in order to build trust (“Follow-Up”)
- You had better be able to deliver the products/services you promised (“Customer Service”)
Obviously, this is a VERY simplified list to successfully growing your business online, but you get the idea. In addition to the 4 things above, however, you should probably consider pay-per-click, SEO, affiliate marketing, product creation, merchant account, website, landing page, video marketing, text-message marketing, email marketing, auto-responders, keyword research, keyword types, continuity programs, upsells, cross-sells, search-engine marketing, lead-magnets, online graphics, split-testing, commission-tracking, list-building, automation tools, joint-venture relationships, integration marketing opportunities, scalability, click-through rates, downsells, one-time offers, psychological selling triggers, product fulfillment centers, etc. etc. etc…
The list goes on and on…
At the end of the day, you want to GROW your business. The problem, however, is that the traditional methods upon which you have relied to make more sales and get new clients simply aren’t working as well as they used to. There’s no SINGLE REASON for this shift, but it’s safe to assume that more and more consumers and businesses are researching your products and services online prior to making a purchase or hiring you or your competitor.
The question becomes, then: “What steps are you taking today to gain maximum exposure for your business in your local online community?”
It used to be “cutting-edge” if you had a website for your business… But, just having a website isn’t enough anymore. In fact, much like undergraduate degrees from institutions of higher learning nowadays, if your business DOESN’T have a website, you are leaving money on the table!
And, some websites are certainly better than others. For example, is your website simply an “online brochure”, or has it been strategically designed to add value to your ideal prospect? Do you have a method of capturing contact information from your prospects on your website? If so, are your prospects giving you their contact information on your website? How well do you engage your audience? How do you keep the attention of your audience? How do you progress your prospects through your sales funnel? Do you even HAVE a sales funnel?
Did you know that Google has helped your business indirectly, without you even knowing it?? In fact, Google has gone so far as to build the beginnings of a professional online presence for your business-at NO CHARGE! Now, companies are springing up all over the place charging businesses like yours to show you (and even do it for you) how to take advantage of this massive opportunity. In fact, Online Client Solutions is one such company!
At OCS, however, we believe that you are smart enough to take the first step without paying someone to do it for you. If you have ever created an account on Facebook, or YouTube, (and even if you haven’t), then you are qualified to claim your very own Google Places Page. Simply navigate to places.google.com/business and begin the process. If you already have a Google account, be sure to login… If not, create your free account, and create the professional listing for your business. This is the very first step in getting your products and services in front of those prospects looking for you in your local area.
After that, be sure to give OCS a call so that you can find out steps 2-5. This is where the rubber REALLY hits the road. Now that your Google Places page has been created, let OCS show you how to optimize it and completely DOMINATE YOUR LOCAL COMPETITORS!!
