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When you invest your business’ money into advertising, you want to know that it’s going to work. While some campaigns may cost more than others, it still sometimes makes sense to run them because they deliver a high return on investment. Although you may spend hundreds of dollars on a campaign, you’re hoping to make thousands from the new customers it brings in. When considering the best returns on investment in the marketing world, online directories cannot be overlooked.
The Online Directory Opportunity
First consider that many online directories are free. Google My Business, one of the leading directories, is completely free. Plus, most business owners are advised to have a listing in this directory, even if they have no other listings. This means that any lead you capture, and any visitor that’s converted into a customer through Google My Business has a 100 percent return on investment. This is also true with Bing Places for Business, YellowPages.com, and many other large directories that are entirely free to use.
It is true that not all online directories are free. Some have small monthly fees, while others can become quite costly. Others, such as Foursquare, have a small one-time fee after which, it is free for the business owner to create and maintain their business listing.
Even these fees though, are very small when compared to the amount of revenue it will bring into your business. Most consumers visit, or at least contact, a business after finding them in an online directory. And online directories are used a lot. Fifty percent of all Google searches are for a local business.
An Increase in Conversions is the Biggest Benefit of Online Directories
All business owners want to increase their conversions. You want to be able to find more leads, and then capture them and turn them into actual customers. It’s the goal of everything you do for your business. Online directories have many benefits, but helping you get those leads and more customers into your door is by far the biggest.
Online Directories Impact Search Results
The very nature of online directories is what allows them to do this. Today consumers go online before they purchase anything. When they do, the business listings in online directories are often the first thing they see. For example, when a customer searches for a business, product, or service in Google, the Google 3-pack appears before any other search result. This 3-pack is created using business listings from Google My Business. Facebook pages are also often the first result seen when customers search for businesses.
When customers see these results, they click on the link and learn more about the business. They learn about the products and services they offer, what their hours of operation are, and in many cases can even call the business. This is very effective. More than half of users that visit a business, or their listing, online using a mobile device visit the business within the same day of searches. Approximately one-third of users that make the same search on a laptop or desktop computer will also visit a business within a day after making a search.
Don’t Forget the Little Details when Creating a Listing
When it comes to creating a business listing for your company in an online directory, you know how important it is to include basic details about your business. For example, your business’ NAP (name, address, phone number) are likely at the top of your list. However, you know better than anyone that your business is about so much more than that! You know it, and now it’s time to let the world know it through your online listing. Below are just a few of the little details that you should include in any online directory that allows them.
Social media profiles: When you include valid and updated social media links to your online listing, it allows customers to find out even more about you. They may head over to your Facebook profile when you are live, or they may check out your Twitter profile to learn of the most recent promotions in your business. Either way, they continue to find out more about you and so, it’s important to include these links in your business listing.
Business Descriptions
It’s tempting to forego filling in a business description because many business owners think it’s obvious what their business is all about. It’s not, so take the opportunity to tell your customers about it.
Contact Email
Email is the most convenient way for customers to reach businesses, so an address where customers can actually reach you is imperative when it comes to your business listing.
Pictures
Many business owners think that pictures are just a nice little extra to have in their business listing. That may be true, but customers love those nice little extras! Include them in your listing to draw in even more customers and to build your brand.
When creating a business listing in an online directory it’s obvious to include the, well, obvious information. However, including some of the smaller details can help boost your brand’s presence, reputation, and bottom line!
Exposure Online Grows Local Businesses
By simply placing your business in online directories, you are vastly increasing the chances of customers seeing it and learning more about your business. They have been one of the best ways for businesses to increase their conversions for several years, and that momentum is not going to slow down any time soon.
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