The Internet is big. I mean really big. As I type this, there are about 1.9 billion sites out there floating around. Only about 200 million or those are active but still, that's a pretty big number.
But if you're like most small businesses, when you try to use this cool tool, you're going to run into one pretty big hurdle.
You Are Virtually Invisible Online
Your prospects are somewhere out there mingling and you need to find a way to get them to look in your direction. If they don't see you, you don't exist.
If a Tree Falls in the Forest and There's No One Around to Hear It, Does It Make a Sound?
Here's a better question: If you build a website and no one knows its there, are you actually online?
Answer: Not enough to matter.
Websites Always Start Off Small
Your website is probably your most valuable pieces of digital real estate. Mature websites provide all sorts of value to their owners. If you're in the process of growing your website, you're on the right track. If you're not, it's time to get started.
While you're growing that website, remember to also grow your overall digital footprint. When you first get started, it will be difficult to get prospects to your website. So strategically it makes sense to get in front of them wherever they happen to be looking online.
In the Local Visibility Blueprint I go over setting up the foundation of your digital footprint so I won't rehash it here. If you haven't downloaded your copy yet, give it a look. It'll help you to clarify what you're supposed to be doing with this internet marketing thing.
What I want to touch on here is the information you should be providing to your audience as you populate your digital footprint. Wherever you plant your flag online, make sure you give your prospects the information they need to do business with you. This is precisely what they're looking for.
Here's a breakdown of the top tasks that consumers perform when searching locally:
https://www.shopify.com/retail/119917059-where-to-list-your-business-online-and-why-it-matters-for-local-seo
Searching for address/location
Finding a business with desired product/service
Searching for a phone number
Finding out hours of operation
Getting driving directions
Discovering coupons/special offers
As it turns out, your prospects want to find you as much as you want to be found. As you go about populating those key web properties we discussed in the Local Visibility Blueprint, make sure to always include the above information using as much space as each platform will give you. Don't spare the ink. You don't get extra points for brevity.
The bottom line? Make it easy for your prospects to contact you or find your business. If you don't, you may end up being a little disappointed at your conversion rate. They're just not that diligent.
Related: Rule #4: Take Care of Your Most Important List
Back to: Local Visibility Blueprint
