For businesses, all the talk about digital marketing can get seriously overwhelming. It's a definite challenge to be able to stay updated and have a plan for the coming months. The internet has been here for long but thanks to recent advancement in mobile technology, local businesses have more to worry. The global spending on digital advertising has been rising at a compounded rate of 5.1% and this included the brick and mortar business that solely relied on the local crowd for their existence.
The world has indeed gotten smaller and there could be fair chances that people sitting in Taiwan would be checking the availability of rooms in a Motel in Alabama for the next week. Customers are everywhere and for their immediate needs, mobile apps have become a tool to finding out the right places to eat, the right places to shop, the right places to stay, and the right way of lifestyle. The modern digital world is all about convenience and local advertisers need to know that that there is more than one way to ensure it.
With local advertising getting so much prominence, businesses are looking up to platforms like Yelp for help. While there were 19,000 local advertising accounts in 2011, the current numbers stand at 111,000. Further, Yelp's revenues have gone up from $550 million in 2015 to $700 million in 2016. In the past year, the local advertising revenues grew by 35% and 61% of it was based on PPC (Pay Per Click).
Customers, both online and local are looking for a more personalized experience and 45% of them would buy prom stores that offer something extra, including personalized recommendation for products. As a result, 51% of digital marketers would be increasing their advertising budgets in 2016. Tools like blogs are expected to generate 67% more number of leads and content would also be a strong criterion towards the success of your business.
As already hinted, there are several ways to reach out to the crowd. This includes Facebook Pages, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn Forums, Email marketing, daily deals, location based services, social media ads, search/display ads, link building, blogging, text messaging, loyalty programs, online videos, reviews and mobile apps among others.
Customers who are looking for a store, a restaurant or a multiplex are more likely to use their mobile devices than ask around. If you don't have a mobile optimized and location optimized website, it would get difficult for them to find you and there are enough chances that a competing store gets their business.
When you want customers, you got to have a comprehensive digital search strategy. Your website should include all information related to products and services you provide, the location details and other relevant information and keywords.
When trying to decide where to eat, potential customers would be making the judgment based on several factors. For starters, your website (the face of the business) is the first impression and thus needs to be highly professional. Make it easy for the customer to find the information he/she would be interested in. if it's a restaurant, it would be things like opening hours, the menu, the prices. Similarly, for retail outlets, it would be brands that are available, the product lines, means to reach, etc.
Make sure that a customer can reach to your store easily and know when to be there precisely. Leave no room for guesswork.
It should be easy for people/customers to get in touch with your, either on phone on through digital means like emails, messaging, etc.
The more you are talked about, the better are the chances of people finding you. Be active of social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, depending upon the nature of your business.
The digital world is a tricky thing. However, it is the job of modern advertisers to stay updated and be the flagship of changes. This comes from market knowledge, experience and some highly effective digital tools.