-- The Christmas season is upon us, and one expert in local marketing is questioning whether or not most small, local business owners have positioned their business to attract as many holiday shoppers as possible.
“In my experience,” says a spokesman from FindUsLocal.com, an online local business directory that offers a no-cost method of helping local shop owners gain an important online presence, “the owners of most local businesses don’t understand the importance of having a local business listing.”
He says that studies show that almost 100 percent of people nowadays turn to local business directories to find the local businesses they want to shop at. “And if a local store, restaurant, or service business can’t be found online, shoppers will move on to a business they can find online.”
He says that consumers use local business directories to find general information about local shops such as their hours of operation, directions to the store, what types of payment the business accepts, and to find online reviews to learn what other customers say about the establishment.
“Without all that social proof,” he says, “shoppers aren’t likely to trust a local business.” It seems counterintuitive that local shoppers would demand an online presence for a local store, but the spokesman says that is the way today’s shoppers think. “Without it,” he says, “local store owners are at a huge disadvantage.”
He says the easiest way to get an online presence is to go to a reputable local business directory like FindUsLocal.com and claim the local business listing as the owner. Then, fill in the pertinent details so that shoppers get the right information when looking at the business listing.
“The final thing local store owners need to do is ensure that the local business listing has a few positive reviews,” he says. “Without them, shoppers will likely visit another business that has them.”
FindUsLocal.com is a local business directory that uses GEO location technology to make each visitor’s experience unique. It strives to be the best free business directory available by consistently advertising, improving the site, and working with small business owners to provide free advertising.
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