Create a magnet for your
IDEAL CLIENTS
[whoever they are]
Consumers and business clients have seen the light, and are using the Web as their primary tool to find and make decisions about local businesses. In fact . . .
“ 60% of all local business searches now happen online (33% happen in print yellow pages) and 82% of the people using local search sites follow up their research with offline action. ” TMP / ComScore (2007)
That was 2007. The online share of local business searches is now close to 70%.
This is a just one example of a pervasive change: The ability of business to "push" a message to wide demographic groups via mass media and marketing is rapidly fading. Today, the crowd is in the driver's seat, using (and also creating) the social Web to guide their own buying decisions and behavior.
A Local Search is a simply a search combining a business type and a location.
A typical local search . . .
But local search does not always depend a location typed-in by the searcher. Search engines already know a user's approximate location (the "IP" number) and often deliver local results with only the business type.
Here's the remarkable thing about Local Search Marketing. It turns the business-driven advertising model upside-down, relying instead on FREE consumer-driven reviews and ratings to promote your business in a natural way. Yet, it's completely compatible with advertising if you really want to light a fire under your marketing campaign.
Local Search has gone mainstream and has revolutionized the way clients make shopping decisions. It's now the de facto method to find out about YOUR local business, no matter if the client is in their office, their home, or on the road.
With smart phone sales in the neighborhood of 140 million units per year, there is no question that mobile users will explode Local Search in 2010 and beyond.
The oldest communication channel in the world — word of mouth — has been supercharged by the Internet, rendering much traditional business-driven marketing irrelevant.
The network has empowered the world to the point that to a large extent, client's now own your business message, image, and reputation. Every hour, their feelings are expressed and circulated in reviews, blog posts, directory comments, email blasts, tweets, and every other form of viral communication. You can't fight it, you can only ride the wave.
Here's a great example of successful Local Search campaign that rides a wave of positive reviews:
In this case, we'll use "chiropractor, los angeles". Talk about a competitive market!
Yet, "Dr. Mike" (ADIO Chiropractic) is #1 on Google Local Search and he's #1 on Yahoo Local Search too!
80% of Dr. Mike's new business comes from Local Search. Why? Well look how many reviews he has compared to everyone else. Over 100!
He dominates his hotly competitive niche due to a highly effective local search campaign; his clients have become his ultimate marketing team. Read more about Dr. Mike's marketing in this USA Today article.
Small companies can leverage this effect to differentiate themselves and level the playing field with much larger or more entrenched competitors.
Good reviews lead directly to more traffic for your business . . . even if you don't yet have a web site. (But for other marketing reasons, your business really must have its own domain and optimized site).
Why do reviewers bother to post their thoughts? They want to . . .
87% of reviews are generally positive in tone. But even tepid or negative reviews should be welcomed as feedback to improve your operations.
Are you concerned about getting negative reviews? Don't be. The occasional negative review is NOT a major factor in your search engine positioning, and it won't sink your business if you handle it correctly (your Free Bonus #1 explains how).
It's far more important to (1) make sure your clients are happy, (2) put a proactive client-driven marketing program in place that generates a TORRENT of great reviews! Our Local Search Marketing package is low-cost, high-value, and VERY effective.
Let's say I'm the potential client. It's Spring and my allergies are driving me crazy. I launch Google and enter "allergist portland, or".
I've already committed to spending some money to solve my problem.
I'm also busy — I want to find a good allergist without wasting time.
Sure, I'll take my friend's personal recommendations into account, but I also know that my friends couldn't possibly know all the allergists around, so I do what 70% of consumers do: I search on Google, Yahoo, or Bing.
This is what I see on Google when I search for a business type and a location. Yahoo and Bing return similar results).
I scan through businesses A - J (next to the map) — these are the top-10 allergists according to Google. There may be 87 other allergists in town. Why should I care? This list looks plausible, has reviews for me to consider, so I'll stop right here.
Like most people, I ignore the "sponsored" listings at the top and right side of the page. Business owners take note: Less than 10% of traffic comes through paid ads. If your marketing consists ONLY of paid advertising, you're missing as much as 90% of the FREE traffic from Local Search, and the Global Search listings below it.
Next, I narrow-down the top-10 by reading the reviews, ignoring any businesses that don't have reviews. I want a good experience, and I don't want to waste my time or money, so I rely on the ratings and recommendations of former clients.
Business A looks good, but then I notice it has no 5-star ratings, and two reviewers mentioned long wait times. So my attention goes to businesses G and D (Allergy Clinic), both of which have several reviews.
Allergy Clinic's reviews, all from recent patients, seem more convincing and enthusiastic. I click to visit Allergy Clinic's site. It looks clean and professional, so I pick up the phone and make an appointment.
End of story!
By the way, how much does a battery of allergen tests and 4-year course of injections cost? According to one allergy patient I know, about $5,000.
For virtually all service businesses and professional practices, Local Search return on investment is over the top. Often, the lifetime value of even ONE new patient or client will pay for your Local Search program.
Keep in mind that only about 10% of traffic comes from paid ads, while about 50% comes from local and global search engine results. Free Local Search results are the best deal on the planet to generate a stream of highly-qualified local clients.
Get started now for only $25.00 per month.
What most local businesses need is a continuous stream of ideal clients (however you refer to them: buyers, customers, patients, members, etc). For many businesses, the best way to achieve that is to first put a Local Search program in place, then follow-up with a high-converting web site, and email or social media campaigns as cash flow allows.
There is NO downside to creating a system that automatically brings ideal clients to your business.
Here are the facts:
Get started now for only $25.00 per month.
P. S. You have a business to run and probably have little time to spend on all this Internet stuff. But please do not underestimate the impact of social media and consumer reviews on your business. Embrace this trend. Let us help you get the best possible results.
Order a Local Search Marketing Package to start attracting ideal local clients within 30 days, or a Marketing Roadmap to guide your entire online initiative. Not sure what action to take? Consider an On-Demand Marketing session.
Marketing in the Digital Age
Services Online Marketing
Policies Updated: June 19, 2009 |