When you start marketing your products and services online, it's helpful if you can clearly visualize how these search engines work.
It seems right to say the overall process is quite the same whether you use Google, Yahoo or Bing.
After watching the video, you'll realize that search functions like a human brain of a genius. It's more than a genius in fact. The web search collects and analyzes information thoroughly, in less than a second.
The most interesting question I have for you is, how will you use the web search to your local business?
The video above shares information on how you can outwit, outplay and outlast your competitors. Competition is good and inevitable. It means you have the ability to get better than them.
There are four common questions to ask yourself when studying your competitors:
1. Who are these competitors?
You need long hours of research to find them. Some of them might already established a strong online presence. Some are new. Yet, as you go along with your research, always remind yourself your goal is to exceed the quality of their products and services.
2. What type of online presence do these competitors have?
Your competitors may have built their own site and social media channels. They can be found in Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and more.
3. What's compelling about your competitors' online presence?
You might have observed big and small businesses these days have a site, Facebook page and Twitter. Their site is built with a blog that is updated with daily news. Their social media channels, on the other hand, are used to communicate with their customers.
4. Does your value-add distinguish your business from the others?
Answer yes to this question and you're all set for online marketing. The truth is, customers look for something unique among the crowd. They know they have plenty of choices but they aren't sure who to pick.
Customers make decisions differently but they do ask three common questions before reaching-out to you. These questions are:
The video above focuses on customer journey. It asks you the question, how will your local customers find you?
There are two steps. First, there's viral marketing or word-of-mouth. For example, Matt's friend recommends ABC (your store) when buying for inexpensive sweaters for Christmas.
Second, there's the online research. To verify if the recommendation is true, Matt will go online and find your store through:
Social Media - Matt will also look for your presence in Facebook.
Google Maps - Matt searches for your exact address and phone number.
Listing site - Matt visits a site such as Foursquare to read reviews about your product.
Google search - When your site is well-optimized locally, Matt can easily visit your site if he searches for keywords relevant to your campaign. He might put the keywords "inexpensive sweaters in Davao City" in the search bar.
There are more ways to find business information online. The four listed above are the most common practices done by customers.
Considering hundreds of online channels theses days, your local customers might or might not look for your website. Business transactions are done offline but keep reminding yourself you need a site if you want to:
Create an online brand for design and layout
Create pages for branded (About, FAQ, Glossary) and non-branded contents (Blog)
Create expanded functionality if you're selling items such as clothes, food, discs, etc.
The video above gives emphasis to the flow of events in an online customer funnel. The online customer funnel (3:35) is an inverted pyramid divided into five parts - visitors, engagement, call-to-action, conversion and loyalty.
Your number one goal in a local internet marketing is to increase revenue. You need to sell and sell and sell more. Yet, it isn't that easy as drinking water. It requires passion, hard work and the right strategy.
The target visitors will come to you if you're going to offer something. Make sure this offer is something valuable, something unique and something special that they find it hard to ignore.
Moving downward the funnel, interested visitors will reach out to you once the offer captures their curiosity, especially if it gives them a reason to buy. They will either call you if you have displayed your phone number somewhere in the site or go directly to your store if they're on the road.
Converting people into buyers is a great thing. Conversion means cash, right? However, the story never ends there. You still need to give them reasons to come back.
Just a quick post here. I just want to remind you SEO, either locally or globally, isn't complicated. It's easy to learn. It's fun. Watch the video above and you'll realize you don't need to have a website to spread your local campaign online. Yes, a business site is important. It's your online empire but it's not a necessity.
Hi everyone. My name is Dean and I'd like to welcome you to my newest blog, Infinity Local.
You might wonder why I called it as such. There's a story behind the name. Infinity is a noun and it gives emphasis to my infinite passion in search engine optimization (SEO).
The year was 2007 when I began studying this field. I began reading free e-books. I watched instructional videos. I wrote articles. I attended seminars and I even get promoted as an SEO Analyst five years after.
Today, I seem to realize marketing your business locally allows you to embrace more customers. Whatever your business is, more and more people can easily see your site if you'll focus your time, money and effort for local search.
Question is, How? Be patient, dear friends. You'll have the answers in the coming days. I'll update this blog and I'll make you realize why local search becomes your infinite priority.
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