Online Marketing Guide: Important Tips for Improving Your Online Visibility docx

Why It’s Important Claiming your listing will get you better rankings on search results, show customers the correct information about your business, and prevent your listing from gettin

Important Tips for Improving Your Online Visibility

Important Strategies for Any Small or Medium Sized Business

By Bowker Commerce Group • June 2012

conducted by the industry’s leading experts The tips are ranked by difficulty level

Some you can do on your own while others may require professional assistance

Remember that being visible on the Internet requires ongoing maintenance Factors that influence your visibility change all the time Look to work with a service provider that specializes in these types

of services

Tip 1: Claim your Local Business Listing

Claim (i.e verify) your business listings on the relevant online resources (e.g search engines like Google and Yahoo, and directory sites like CitySearch and Yellowpages)

Why It’s Important

Claiming your listing will get you better rankings on search results, show customers the

correct information about your business, and prevent your listing from getting hijacked

(i.e edited by someone who is not the business owner)

What It Requires

1 Visit the relevant search engines and directory sites

2 Find the ‘Claim your business’ link

3 Validate\correct your business details and claim it.

Tip 2: Update your full and accurate address on all local business

directories, search engines and your website

As simple as this sounds, hundreds of businesses fail to take this crucial step - which can translate into lost dollars Take the time to check that every relevant site lists your business’s correct address, phone, email, website, and any other contact details

Why It’s Important

An updated address generates a sense of trust for customers and search engines, as well as helps more customers find you

What It Requires

1 After claiming your listing you can update your address details Check that your listings are

consistent across all sites

2 Please note – If your business is located in a suburb but your service area includes a nea

by city, you may want to consult an expert as to your visibility for potential customers

searching according to the nearby city An expert may be able to help you become more visible beyond your immediate location

Tip 3: Put your business in the right categories

Customers find you either by specifically searching for your business name or, more commonly, by a general search for a product or service you provide

Why It’s Important

If your business is not listed under the proper categories, you may not be found by customers searching for your product or service

What It Requires

1 Visit the search engines and directory sites and check which categories your business

is listed under

2 Do your category research – compare how your competitors categorize themselves and

familiarize yourself with the categories offered by the search engines and directories

3 After claiming your business (Tip #1) you may select your categories Choose all the

categories relevant to your business so that you’ve covered the range of potential searches

Tip 4: Include product / service keywords in your local

business listing title

This helps customers find your business more easily on search engines (especially if your business name does not spell out what you provide)

Why It’s Important

According to industry research, the highest-ranking businesses on search engines have some variation of their top keywords in their listing title (e.g plumbing, gardening, towing, etc.)

1 Choose your business listing title carefully – incorporate a keyword as naturally as possible

2 Be consistent – update your listing titles across all the relevant sites

3 Consider consulting an expert – a professional can best assess a reasonable combination

of keywords for your business listing title

Tip 5: Add or verify your business listing with data providers

for search engines

Search engines and local search sites use data providers (e.g InfoUSA, Localeze, Acxiom, etc.) as a source for their information

Why It’s Important

Because local directories rely on data provider sites for their information, you want to make sure your details are correct at the source

What It Requires

1 Visit the data provider sites

2 Find the ‘Claim your Business’ link

3 Validate/correct your business details

Tip 6: Get your customers to write online reviews about your business

Ask your customers – on your website, in person, or through your literature - to submit online reviews about you

Why It’s Important

Reviews about you help increase your online visibility It will also build credibility,good

word-of-mouth, and draw in new customers

What It Requires

1 Any time you have a satisfied customer, ask him/her to take a moment to review you

2 Make it easy – provide your customer with the link(s) to post their review

such as Yelp

Create more “buzz” around your business You will see what your customers have to say and how you can improve your business

Why It’s Important

Online reviews of your business are an increasingly influential factor in your business’s online rankings, and therefore your visibility

What It Requires

1 Read your online reviews Learn what customers like and don’t like

2 If the site allows you to respond, respond to your reviews Engaging in a dialogue shows

that you take your customer service seriously, and can impress new potential customers

Tip 8: Use social networks such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter to

stay in touch with current customers and attract new customers

As social networks gain overwhelming volumes of traffic and attract more and more users, you have a ripe opportunity to connect with many potential customers

Why It’s Important

Many businesses gain visibility through social sites They are a popular forum for engaging in dialogue, organizing groups, and sharing recommendations (and warnings) Customers may

be more inclined to interact with you if you are open to communicating through these sites This will also allow you to form a community for your business – a way to communicate with existing customers, advertise sales or specials, and be visible to potential customers

1 Unless you are a savvy social web user, you may want to consult an expert to familiarize

yourself with the various features of these sites and avoid any practices that may turn off potential customers

2 Once you’re comfortable navigating these sites, be sure to sign online to them regularly

Tip 9: Advertise online

Today’s online advertising options allow you to buy traffic and measure your ROI (return on invest-ment) per advertising campaign

Why It’s Important

There is a limited amount you can do to drive organic traffic to your site (traffic that arrives naturally) in a relatively short time If you want to boost your online visibility (especially if you want to see immediate results), you should consider advertising online in order to increase your exposure amongst your target market

What It Requires

1 Research your options, such as PPC (pay-per-click campaigns) versus traditional paid

advertising

2 Consider consulting an expert regarding the key message, content, and design of your

ad/banner/landing page

3 Consider consulting an expert as to how to wisely buy traffic, gain positive ROI and measure

which investments have been effective

Tip 10: Create a clean, coherent website with content that targets

your keywords

A website is a critical factor in determining online presence More and more small and medium-sized businesses have created websites, even if they are extraordinarily basic

Why It’s Important

It’s the reality that most consumers today expect a business to have their own website A web site is a one-stop, convenient destination to answer all the customer’s questions – who you are, what you offer, your contact details, rates, updates, news and specials

Note – your website can be as simple as a homepage with your logo and contact details

Even if you don’t operate a store-front business you should still have a website It offers an accessible face to the Internet-savvy consumer, and you want to be visible to them

What It Requires

1 If this is your first time creating a website, we highly recommend you consult an expert.

The process involves technical, functional and marketing aspects which you will want to set up as successfully as possible

2 A good start is a nice, static site – use a clean, unified design to show your business is

professional and well-organized Make sure it is user friendly and that the content

incorporates all your business information, some customer reviews and a basic SEO

(search engine optimization) readiness

3 As your business grows, you can develop your site Make it more interactive and invest in

SEO to take full advantage of your online exposure potential

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