| Copyright 2005 Jennifer McGroary | | | | again to re-print and re-mail your direct marketing |
| According to The Kelsey Group * "70% of U.S. | | | | piece.) If your first e-mail newsletter that you send |
| households now use the Internet as an information | | | | doesn't get the response you like, just make some |
| source when shopping locally for products and | | | | changes and resend! Absolutely no additional costs |
| services... Findings also suggest the Internet is poised | | | | involved. |
| to surpass newspapers as a local shopping | | | | More Convenient For You |
| information resource." | | | | - Answer client's questions at a time when it is |
| Think about the last time you were searching for | | | | convenient for you. No more interrupted phone calls |
| information about a product or service, where did | | | | with questions that are answered on your web site. |
| you look first? The Yellow Pages or the Internet? | | | | - Have you ever been in the middle of a consuming |
| Today more consumers are going online to search | | | | project or just came up with a great idea, but |
| for information rather than turning to the yellow | | | | before you could write it down the phone rings? You |
| pages. | | | | answer it, spending the next 15-20 minutes answering |
| In the past there wasn't really a need for businesses | | | | questions that could have easily been answered on |
| with local client bases to have a web site. Now things | | | | your web site. You hang up and realize, you can't |
| are changing. Recently there has been a change in | | | | even remember the great idea that you came up |
| the way search engines return the results for | | | | with or have lost your momentum working on the |
| searches. Some of the high-ranking search engines, | | | | project you started before the phone rang. |
| such as Google and Yahoo, are now gearing towards | | | | Ok, you've decided that having a web presence for |
| local search results allowing more precise and | | | | your business will help increase your profits - What |
| accurate listings. | | | | do you do now??? |
| The result is that now, as a local business owner, | | | | First decide what you want your site to do for you. |
| there is a greater chance than ever to get your | | | | In other words, what is your "Most Wanted |
| business listed at the top of the search engines for | | | | Response"? What do you want your customers to |
| searches in your local area and for the keywords | | | | do when they visit your site? Some examples are: |
| that you want. That means that the local customers | | | | - Learn more about you/your business. |
| that are looking for what you offer, will now find | | | | - Call you to set up an appointment. |
| you! (That is, if you have a web site!) | | | | - Make a purchase. |
| In addition to the fact that your site will now be | | | | - Give you their e-mail address. |
| found easier on the search engines, there are plenty | | | | Second figure out what information you need to |
| of additional reasons to have a web site for your | | | | have on your site in order to achieve your "Most |
| local business. | | | | Wanted Response." Examples - |
| Even if you own a small business (1-20 employees) | | | | - List information about you and/or your business. |
| and most or all of your customers or clients are | | | | - Show before and after pictures of your services. |
| based locally, you can still benefit. For example: | | | | - List articles related to your product or service that |
| Get An Edge Over Your Competition | | | | will help establish credibility with the potential |
| - Allow your customers/clients to learn more about | | | | customer/client. |
| you at a time that is convenient for them. Your | | | | - Post hours and directions to your location. |
| expanded online business is open 24/7. | | | | You can use any combination of these examples or |
| - Build relationships with them via e-mail newsletters, | | | | you may have some of your own you wish to |
| articles and interactive tools on your site. | | | | incorporate. Your site can be as little as a 1-2 page |
| Gain and Build Credibility | | | | brochure site with a newsletter sign-up or as big as a |
| - List testimonials of satisfied clients or customers to | | | | multi-page online catalog listing all of your products or |
| enhance your credibility in the eyes of potential | | | | services. |
| customers. | | | | Next you will need to have someone develop the |
| - Show reviews of your products or services. | | | | site for you. There are two ways to accomplish this. |
| - Show pictures of you, your location, staff, etc. - | | | | 1. You can do it yourself or 2. Hire someone to do it |
| Show them that you are a real person that they can | | | | for you. |
| trust. | | | | If you feel confident enough to design the site |
| - Provide essential background information about you | | | | yourself, go for it. There are great tutorials and |
| and your business. | | | | information on how to learn to design and build a |
| - By posting articles that you have written, you help | | | | web site. Just do a search on the top search engines |
| prove to your potential customer/client that you are | | | | for Do-it-yourself web site tutorials. |
| qualified to help them solve their problem. | | | | Perhaps you would still like to build it yourself, but |
| Save Money on Operational/Marketing Costs | | | | would like some personal guidance? The second |
| - Expand your hours without the additional operational | | | | option you could pursue is a Web Site Consulting |
| costs. Your site is open 24 hours a day/7 days a | | | | Program in which a consultant will walk you through |
| week. Customers/clients can learn about you and | | | | the steps to take to build a web site and upload it to |
| your business when it is convent for them. | | | | the internet. |
| - Free up time answering repeated information such | | | | If you don't have the time or the desire to learn how |
| as hours, directions, rates, FAQ's, etc. List all that | | | | to do it yourself, you can hire a web designer to do |
| information on your site and you'll save money on | | | | it for you. What ever option you decide, don't wait |
| customer service questions. | | | | too long to get started... |
| - Save money on printing costs. Brochures about | | | | A potential customer/client is searching for a business |
| your business are expensive and are only good until | | | | information using Google or Yahoo. Who's site will |
| you need to change something, such as hours or | | | | they find? Yours or your competitors??? |
| product information. Then you have to spend all that | | | | * The Kelsey Group is the leading provider of |
| money over again to reprint! (Not to mention, | | | | strategic research and analysis, data and competitive |
| re-mailing!) Your web site is a full color, updateable, | | | | metrics on Yellow Pages, electronic directories, |
| expandable, limitless brochure. You have the flexibility | | | | small-business advertising and local search. Beginning in |
| and the availability to add or update it instantly; | | | | 1986, the company has built a reputation as the |
| change content, colors, add a new picture, etc. | | | | leading analyst firm covering the directory publishing |
| - Free e-mail marketing - Compare that to direct | | | | community, providing advisory (The Kelsey Report(R) |
| marketing mailings that can cost you a small fortune. | | | | and Interactive Local Media), publishing (Global Yellow |
| (If your first mailing doesn't get the response you | | | | Pages (TM) and Local Media Journal (TM) ) and |
| were looking for, you have to spend all that money | | | | consulting (more than 300 individual assignments). |