Just because you only serve locally does not mean that you do not need to go worldwide… on the web that is.
Statistics show that 90% of business sales begin as a Google search. With the majority of households owning at least one internet-capable device, these are statistics that local businesses cannot afford to ignore.
Whether you are a long time vet or a business newbie, here are 5 tips to help you make the most of your blog content to generate sales on the local scale…
1. Create Content That Matters To Your Audience.
It matters… a lot.
Even if you have the best product in the world… if you have terrible blog content that is either a) mind numbingly boring or b) not relevant or useful to your audience – then it won’t get you very far.
So how do you create shareable content that gains you new customers? Simple. Think up content that highlights your customer first and your brand second.
For example, if you were a local ketchup company, you could create content about picnic ideas, offer recipes or ketchup hacks. However, just pleasing your customer is not all you will achieve when creating useful content.
Google’s web crawlers are incredibly smart. They can spot good content a mile away and good content moves you up in search engine result ranks. Win win.
2. Don’t Ignore The Basics…
Your blog can be your best friend…
But far too many businesses fail to fill out the most important information. From your phone number and email to your physical location, these details are incredibly important to your sales.
When an audience’s interest is sparked they enter into the “action” phase. However, if finding your number or address is too hard, they are more likely to leave your page without a conversion taking place.
Thus, you will always want to be sure to provide this vital information on your “contact us” page. (Pst… be sure to make this information HTML crawler friendly too.)
3. Don’t Neglect To Post An Online Reviews Section
The way other customers see you can greatly influence the way future customers see you too. In fact, 92% of consumers are influenced by online reviews. Other statistics even reveal that consumers are more influenced by word of mouth.
4. Change Up Your Homepage Often
Don’t think of it as static. It is more important than you think.
Many companies make the mistake of leaving their homepage as is for years. While it may seem like a small deal at first, your homepage is a much bigger deal then many local businesses realize.
Think of your homepage as a first impression. You want to put your best foot forward and be the kind of company that customers want to keep coming back for. To do this, switch up your homepage content regularly.
This helps to keep your customers interested in what you have to say… and sell. Staying current can mean keeping a current customer or making that customer into a previous one.
5. Don’t Forget Those FAQs!
They can win you a lasting customer base.
You likely will not have a phone number that you want your customers to dial whenever their heart desires. While you cannot be the bionic man or woman to answer all calls ALL the time, having all of the information that your customer needs 24/7 can help to win you more business in the long run.
Think of it like this. If you were a home improvement business and a local customer had a major pipe break tbat flooded their basement game room, they would need to find repair parts ASAP to avoid damage.
While you cannot be open 24 hours a day in most cases, you can have as much information as possible readily available for your customer – anytime day or night. If you don’t, another local retailer will and this will be one sale that you lose to another business.
Local businesses work hard already so it comes as no surprise that when they are told that they have to work even harder on their online content… they meet the challenge without complaining, giving up or giving in.
While many factors contribute to the online success of your local business, one factor is the most important of all… and that is creating amazing content. It is half of the battle.
When you take the time to care about the words you use and the needs of your customer, you will snag yourself a lasting spot in the hearts of your community.
