How to give your business a better online presence

By Mitch Allen

One of the most common questions Mimi’s Marketing Strategists hear from our local business clients is this: How do I affordably improve my business’s presence online?

One answer is to have engaging content on a mobile-responsive website that accurately explains what your business does, including essential keywords and phrases that your customers may enter into search engines like Google.

Another answer is: Engage in Local Search, which is where more people will learn about your business well before they even have a chance to see your website. In fact, more and more consumers are finding the information they need about your business without ever visiting your website.

What Is Local Search?
We all search the internet for different things in different ways. If we’re looking for a recipe, for example, we generally don’t care if that information is local or comes from a chef in California or New York.

Informational searches, such as “how to fix a toilet,” can serve up effective how-to videos produced anywhere in the world. The geographic source doesn’t matter as long as we get the information we need.

Local Search, on the other hand, is all about our local community. If someone searches “plumber Cleveland,” they want a local plumber, not one in California. And the search “pizza shops near me” will show local pizza restaurants, not those in New York.

In its algorithms, Google and other search engines rely heavily on your business’s location to determine whether to include your business in Local Search results. That’s why having an exactly accurate business name and address—consistent across the internet—is so important. Inconsistencies in name, location, phone number, etc. can cause Google and even your potential customers to question your credibility.

In short, you need to make sure your business information is accurate and consistent all over the web. Your business listings are out there and if you aren’t managing them, someone else is.

What Can Mimi Do For Your Business?
Mimi offers Northeast Ohio businesses a Local Search package that includes optimizing your business information on over 60 different websites and directories, including the big ones like Google, Facebook, Yelp, Yahoo and TripAdvisor. We make sure your critical business information is correct on all of these sites, including your name, address, phone number, websites, hours, lists of products and services, menus, etc.

We also populate all of your listings with high-quality content, including professional text and photography. In fact, we craft what Mimi calls your “Strategic Narrative,” which concisely captures the essence of your business—your passion, uniqueness, products and services all while including essential keywords and phrases. And if something changes, such as holiday hours, we can quickly make that change to all sites.

Mimi also ensures that your all-important Google My Business listing is professional and accurate. More and more, potential customers are relying on your Google listing, not your website. Whether or not you have already claimed your Google listing, Mimi can you help maximize it.

Review Monitoring
The online reviews customers leave about your business are becoming increasingly important. In addition to improving your rankings in search results, your reviews help potential customers make up their minds about your business. Consider these facts:

• 90% of consumers read online reviews (with 89% reading more than 2 reviews, and 15% reading 11 reviews)
• 88% trust online reviews when considering a business just as much as a review from their best friend
• 72% say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more
• Customers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with excellent reviews
• 86% of consumers will decide against buying from you if they read negative reviews about you online.

If a customer leaves a review about your business—positive or negative—it’s important to respond appropriately, including thanking people for positive reviews and seeking win-win solutions for negative reviews. Your potential customers value reviews, but they also value (and make buying decisions) based on how you respond to those reviews.

This is exactly why Mimi’s Local Search package also includes Online Review Monitoring. We alert you when someone leaves a review about your business on any of 60+ websites so you can respond quickly and professionally. We even offer valuable insight on exactly how to respond.

Who’s Looking For You?
Imagine being able to see how many people are searching for your business and on which websites and directories. That can help you determine how to best manage your online presence and digital marketing. Mimi’s Local Search package includes monthly easy-to-read analytics which show you exactly that.

Other Digital Marketing
In addition to her popular monthly magazine and Local Search package, Mimi also offers Online Ad Retargeting. We can deliver digital display ads to your potential customer based on geography and what they are interested in.

Getting Started
For more information about Local Search and other smart marketing opportunities, contact Mimi at 330-220-8610 or visit MimiVanderhaven.com. One of our Marketing Strategists will perform a free, comprehensive evaluation of your business’s online presence to see exactly how (or if) your business is listed on over 60 different popular websites and directories. There is no charge for the evaluation and no obligation.

For more information, call 330-220-8610 or visit MimiVanderhaven.com.