As a business that caters to local customers, you may not feel you can benefit from the worldwide reach of the internet. However, there are still many advantages of marketing online. Below are just some of the biggest benefits of having an online presence as a local business.
An online presence can increase trust
If you’re a local independent plumber and you run into a potential customer locally in person, they may want validation that you’re the professional that you say you are. Having a website, social media pages and positive online reviews can provide proof that your business is legitimate. It can show potential customers that you’re an established company with a track record for delivering on your promises. No online presence could suggest that you’re not established or that you’ve got something to hide. With smartphones giving people internet access everywhere, customers can research you online at any time, so make sure you’ve got at least a website.
Not all your audience may live locally
While the majority of your customers may be based locally, there may still be some customers that come from afar. There could be people visiting family in the area or even tourists if you live in an attractive part of the world. These customers may want to research ahead into the local services that are offered. If you have no online presence, customers won’t be able to do this and you could lose out on business. Consider the amount of times you may have visited somewhere new and Googled ‘restaurants near me’ or ‘local places to eat’. Investing in local SEO services using SEO agencies could be necessary for marketing to these people. Online reviews could also be useful for informing non-local customers about your reputation – even if you consider yourself well-known in the area, customers from afar may not know of you.
Providing information online reduces work for you
The internet can be useful for giving people information such as opening hours and directions. You could even allow people to book appointments online through your site. This could reduce the amount of general enquiries and bookings you get over the phone, saving you time while still keeping your customers informed and equipped. Platforms such as a website and Google My Business can help you to provide this information online
You can build a stronger relationship with existing customers
An online presence can also help you to nurture your relationship with existing customers. Social media is very effective at this – you can encourage customers to follow you on your social media pages so that they can keep in the loop about new products and changes. Customers may see these products and changes and be tempted to reuse your services. Ultimately, you could attract return business that you might not have otherwise obtained through regular marketing. On top of this, social media allows you to have public conversations with your customers, answering their questions and even engaging in friendly banter. Having this interaction with customers looks very good on your public image and could help to attract new customers as well as return customers.