It's no secret that browsing the World Wide Web is slowly becoming the most popular way to access information. In fact, a 2012 Pew Internet & American Life Project study revealed that 51 percent of adults in the United States get facts about local businesses, such as hours and location, from the internet, rather than from newspapers, word of mouth, television or phone books.
If you own a business and want to generate more leads for your company so consumers take advantage of your service or product instead of others, then read over the tips below from Entrepreneur Magazine.
1) Create a website with your own domain
This may sound like common sense, but shockingly, 50 percent of small businesses (SMBs) don't have a website. If you don't have a page that individuals can log onto, make sure you do something to change that right away. It's always a good idea to let professionals give you a helping hand. Small business online marketing firms are great resources, as their agents have years of experience helping their clients gain influence across the internet by, as you might have guessed, designing impeccable websites.
2) Offer potential customers free resources
One of the most effective ways to turn potential customers into loyal clients is to give them something for free. For example, if you own a small plumbing company, you may want to provide a downloadable sheet that lets people know how to fix small leaks in their bathroom sink. The goal is to become a trusted resource, a business that people can rely on when they are in need. When they can't fix a problem themselves, you'll probably be the first enterprise they call.
3) Create a local profile
If you don't create a local profile using online directories like Google Places, YellowPages.com and Yelp, how else do you expect people to find you? According to the publication, it's critical that you're consistent in the way you list information from one search engine to the other. For example, if your company is spelled John's Plumbing on Yelp, make sure your brand identity is the same everywhere else on the internet.