It’s hard to believe that the holidays are right around the corner.  Wow, this year has really flown by!  This year has also brought incredible opportunities for local businesses; the Internet officially went “Local”, the search engines created local directories, local social networking sites were created, and social media is booming.  All of these factors will have an impact on holiday shopping for local businesses!

What will be different this holiday season?

• People will be sharing about the best deals and their shopping experiences through social media.
• Recommendations and reviews are going to be a big consideration.  People trust online recommendations from their friends and family, and people in their network.
• 84% of consumers are expected to be searching online for local products and services during the holiday season.
• Facebook Fan Pages are very popular right now.  People are looking for and connecting with their favorite businesses on Facebook, which are usually local.  Businesses with Fan Pages will be using them to promote holiday deals.

We all know that holiday shoppers search online for the best deals and gift ideas.  And, more people are now researching products and services online, and then purchasing offline at a local business. What will you do different this year to encourage visitors and increase holiday sales?  Here’s a few ideas:

• Increase your social media presence; build your networks and schedule the time to increase your activity.
• Offer something free if they “check-in” at your location on Foursquare.  It doesn’t have to be expensive, just something to entice them.
• Provide a special discount for Facebook Fans only
• Create a sale or coupon on MerchantCircle
• Email a newsletter, include pictures of holiday items and a special discount code

Be different, be creative and benefit from the new online opportunities!  Please share your ideas!

Most local business owners have a hard time understanding why it is so important for them to have an online presence.  After all, they advertise in the local paper and Yellow Pages, why do they need a website?  Well, the simple truth is that’s where the people are.  When was the last time you actually picked up the Yellow Pages to find a local business?  Chances are you went to your computer or mobile phone and Googled what you were looking for.

If your business doesn’t have an online presence, you are losing potential customers.  People want to quickly be able to find information about a product or service they are looking for.  And, people are more likely to shop with a business that is found online because they have information about them.  Simply put, an online presence is a must for today’s business.

These are three essentials to help you establish an online presence for your local business:

1)  Optimized Website – A basic website that provides information about your business and its products or services.  It doesn’t have to be elaborate with videos or lots of photos; it just has to be informative.  Also, your website needs to be search engine optimized.  This means that your website should include keywords and terms available for the search engines to pick up and include in the search results.

2)  Local Search Engine Listings – These are free listings by Bing, Google, and Yahoo and allow you to provide a lot of information about your business.  Be sure to utilize all of the features, upload a photo of your business, and create a coupon.  Potential customers will review these listings when they appear in the search results, so make them interesting and include a lot of information!  Here are the links to each:

http://www.bing.com/local/
http://www.google.com/places
http://www.local.yahoo.com

3)  Facebook Fan Page – This is the newest trend and quickly proving to be an essential.  Facebook has literally become a search engine in and of itself.  With over 400 million active users, people are searching for local businesses within Facebook. A Fan Page is a great way to promote your business, it’s free to set up, and you’re probably already familiar with how to use Facebook

Here’s a great quote that really puts all of this into perspective!

Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

Internet marketing for local businesses is a significant part of an overall marketing strategy.  In addition to traditional marketing methods such as local magazines, newspapers, or direct mail, add some internet marketing to the mix.  Both types of marketing have a purpose and both are successful.  People still subscribe to magazines and read the newspaper (especially in rural areas), everyone still receives mail, and practically everyone has internet access.

Now that the internet has officially gone local, there are numerous opportunities to market your business online, increase its exposure, and reach an entirely new audience.  Internet marketing consists of many different mediums; blogs, articles, e-zines or newsletters, social media, press releases, and videos.  Facebook and Google ads are another popular medium of internet marketing.  Utilizing these mediums will increase traffic to your website, visitors to your business, and allow you stay in contact with your customers.  Some interesting statistics about internet usage for local shopping:

• 70% of U.S. households use the internet to research information when shopping for local services and products
• 84% of online searches are for local businesses and services
• Google Local Business search engine has an average of more than 50 million unique visitors every month
• 82% of local online searchers follow up offline via an in-store visit, phone call or purchase

These statistics show the growth and importance of including internet marketing in your overall marketing efforts.  The key benefits of internet marketing are it is no cost/low cost, easy to implement, targeted, and highly measurable.  As with any type of marketing, you need to determine your target market, develop a strategy, and measure your return on investment.  When people call or visit your business, ask them “How did you hear about us?”  Find out how people are finding you, so you know where your marketing dollars are working and where they are not.

I appreciate your feedback, so please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!