The Significance of Local Listings for a Successful Business
Before the Internet became a daily component of our lives, local businesses heavily relied on Yellow Pages, flyers, and newspaper ads to promote and market to customers. Building a presence was a waiting game—until search engines and navigation apps took over to redirect customers straight to your storefront.
As online marketing becomes crucial to a business’s success, local business listings are all the more beneficial for making your business visible to more customers.
How Beneficial are Local Directory Listings to Your Business?
A local directory listing describes what your business offers to potential customers. It contains basic information such as business name, address, and contact information. Local listings can also have websites and a brief list of services or products available. Listing your business doesn’t have to be expensive. Many online directories allow businesses to create a free business listing. These include:
Navigation Apps
- Apple Maps
- Google Maps
- Waze
Virtual Assistants
- Alexa (Amazon)
- Siri (Apple)
- Cortana (Microsoft)
- Google Assistant
- Bixby (Samsung)
These online platforms help prospective customers discover your business. Statistically, around 97% of users go online to search for local products and/or services. Investing in online marketing with local business listings efficiently boosts brand visibility and sales for your business. Below are significant benefits of local business listings:
It Leads to More Store Visits and Phone Calls
Navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze help at least 86% of users find the location of a store. Profiles in different maps and directories make your business more discoverable. Claim your business profiles in online directories and mapping platforms to lead more customers to visit your store, and remember to list up-to-date contact information and store location!
It Strengthens Your SEO
Search engine optimization is a strong factor in online marketing success. However, 58% of businesses don’t optimize online content. Make the most of your marketing strategy by adopting good SEO. Update business listings with consistent information and reliable backlinks (official website, social media accounts) to raise search ranking and get more customers to find you.
It Boosts Your Online Reputation
As a business, you want to provide quality service to your customers. Customer reviews on social media and local directories can engage more people to learn about your business.
93% of customers refer to online reviews before proceeding with a purchase. With this in mind, you can utilize local business listings to increase search visibility and learn about your customers’ feedback and improve services accordingly.
Finally, customer reviews affect your search ranking. Build trust with your customers through kind responses. Every review, whether good or bad, matters to your search ranking and the likelihood of prospective customers availing of your services.