Marketing for small businesses is important because it helps them to reach and attract new customers, increase brand awareness, and ultimately drive sales and revenue. Without effective marketing, small businesses may struggle to compete with larger companies and may have difficulty growing their customer base. Additionally, by identifying and targeting specific market segments, small businesses can effectively allocate their resources and increase the return on their marketing investment.
Web Design and Local SEO
Web marketing will require some additional steps to best SEO practices. Keywords and their proper use are a very important part of any types of SEO strategies. But getting the information into the hands of a locally targeted audience will require that local terms be used along with other pertinent keywords. For instance, when building content for a site instead of using just “landscaping contractor” add a local term such as “Essex County landscaping contractor.” This informs the reader as well as the search engines of the type of business and its general locality. Both of these are very important pieces of information. Also remember to add geographic tags to keywords that are found in page titles and meta tags.
When designing a website make sure to include the business information on each and every page of the site. This will help search engines when they are doing a local search. And making your contact information easily accessible will help customers or clients be able to contact you much easier.
Help the Search Engines Find You!
The three major search engines have local business directories. There are generally listings for all the businesses in any location. Some of these are registered and some are not. Check out Bing Local, Yahoo! Local and Google Places to see if your business is identified. If it is there already you can simply claim it and go through their verification process. If it is not listed, just submit it and add it to their business listings. Once the business is listed in the search engine’s local business listings and you have verified it, you will be able to update your contact information and add pictures. Registering a business in a local directory will help search engines find it when a query is entered. It is very likely that much site traffic can be generated through the use of these directories.
Google My Business for Small Businesses in New Jersey
Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool provided by Google that allows small businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Google Search and Google Maps. By claiming and verifying their business on GMB, small businesses can control how their business appears to potential customers and provide them with important information such as business hours, location, and contact details. GMB also enables small businesses to respond to customer reviews and manage their reputation.
Incorporating GMB into small business marketing strategies can be a powerful tool for increasing visibility and driving more traffic to the business. GMB helps businesses reach local customers, who are actively searching for products or services, by appearing at the top of Google search results and Google Maps. Small businesses can also use GMB to share updates and special offers with their customers, helping to increase engagement and encourage repeat business. GMB can be a valuable resource for small businesses looking to establish and improve their online presence, and it is easy to set up and use.