The consumer of the modern world has more diverse needs than the traditional customer. Initially, one had to own a well-equipped brick and mortar store to be considered a serious business. Today however, things have changed rapidly that a consumer on one end of the world will buy products from the other end, without ever visiting the shop, let alone talking to the attendants.
It is in the wake of this highly interconnected global village that both consumers and businesses are exposed to some of the best technologies in the world. If you own a business in a certain district, you do not have to advertise it on the dailies for people to know. Paying for newspaper ads with national coverage may not be the best idea, especially when your business serves a smaller area.
With local business listings such as ReferLocal business pages, consumers now have a wide range of options to work with. To begin with, businesses are able to reach their target audience within a specific region much faster. According to the latest statistics released by Google, the interest in ‘near me’ online searches have increased tremendously since 2011. In fact, the figures estimate that those searches have grown 34 times.
This implies that consumers are more interested in local information. If you were yet to claim your business online, you are missing out on substantial opportunities. For business owners who want to rank better on Google, this would be the perfect place to get those leads. The more the local business listings you claim, the higher your franchise is going to rank on Google.
It is estimated that a staggering 90% of local consumers use a search engine to find a local product or service. And Google is the most predominant search engine so far. While it may take more than using local business listings like ReferLocal business pages to get better rankings on Google, it is still an important part of this process.
Reviews are more specific as they are from people within the same area. When you see a neighbor’s positive review about a particular service, you are likely to choose the same. If they impressed your neighbor or neighbor, chances are they are likely to extend the same to you or even perform better. This is one of the reasons why it is recommended that you spare enough time check online customer reviews and the listings of business professionals and investment consultants in your area.
