As a local business owner – whether you’re a tradesman, hairstylist, dog groomer, or restaurant owner – having a strong online presence is crucial. It’s not enough to have a website and a Facebook page; in the growing and developing online world it’s important to do as much as you can to get your business found online. Here are four essential digital marketing elements to help your local business thrive in 2024:
1.Google Business Profile Optimization
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps – it’s the little box that appears on the tight when Googling a business. It’s crucial for local SEO (see below) and helps customers find and connect with your business. Google Business Profile is often the first point of contact for potential customers. It’s important you keep on top of your page by:
- Go to google.com/business and claim your listing if you haven’t already! A good way to check is opening a tab in incognito mode and searching up your business
- Keep your information up-to-date (hours, services, contact details)
- Regularly post updates, offers, and photos
- Encourage and respond to customer reviews
2. Omnichannel Marketing
Omnichannel Marketing is all about creating a seamless experience for your customers across all touchpoints – both online and offline, whether they’re browsing your website, receiving emails or checking your social media. For local businesses, this means connecting your physical location, website, social media and customer service efforts:
- Ensure consistent messaging across social media, email, and your website, including consistent branding and voice. For more tips on how to build and maintain your brand, you can read our help guide here
- Implement cross-channel retargeting strategies for customers that leave your website or social media without taking action
- Use customer data to provide personalized experiences regardless of the platform
3. Local SEO Strategy
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is probably the most important thing to consider when trying to attract more website visitors. Essentially, you want your website to appear at the very top of all search results when a key word or phrase is searched on Google. There’s a couple things you can do to appear more often in those organic search results locally:
- Use location-based keywords (e.g., “hairstylist in [Your City]”)
- Create location-specific pages on your website
- Build citations on local business directories
4. Online Booking and Payment Systems
Convenience is the number one seller – the easier it is to reach you and buy your product/service – the better. Make it easy for customers to do business with you:
- Implement an online booking system for appointments
- Offer contactless payment options (cash is not widely used anymore!)
- Consider a loyalty program to encourage repeat business
- A fully operational e-commerce website for goods and products
By incorporating these digital marketing must-haves, you’ll be well-equipped to attract and retain local customers in the increasingly digital marketplace of 2024, going into 2025. The upcoming New Year is a good time to consider evaluating and expanding your digital marketing strategy.
Local Pages offers free consultations about your marketing needs. We pride ourselves on our bespoke approach, so don’t wait and level up your digital presence in 2025! Book a consultation here.
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