If you sell a product or service and you’re asking yourself – why get found online – maybe you should consider doing something else. If you sell products or services locally and don’t have an online presence, you’re not only missing out on lots of opportunity, you’re jeopardizing your ability to grow your business and make more money.

In our world today, making your business easy to find online isn’t an option, it’s a necessity.

Get Found Online to Get More Customers

As consumers get more and more used to the idea that they can find all kinds of information online, they pay less and less attention to things they don’t have any interest in; like local advertising. In the past people selling products and services locally had to rely on traditional marketing and advertising techniques to communicate with people to get more customers.

These more traditional advertising platforms include television, newspapers, magazines, radio and direct mail. While these local marketing and advertising techniques are still available and in use today, they are expensive and much less effective for most local businesses than in the past.

Today there are literally hundreds of websites, search engines and business directories that consumers use to do everything and anything they want; shop, compare prices, read reviews, get recommendations, ask questions and get special offers.

In fact consumers are getting so used to easily finding information online that chances are that even if they know you exist, if they can’t easily find you online, they probably won’t purchase anything you’re selling.

Online Visibility and Credibility Matter

Business Networking International founder and chairman, Ivan Misner has always proclaimed that profitability is the product of visibility and credibility.

This age-old phenomenon can now be translated directly to the Internet.

Your online visibility and credibility can help you create profitability. Ironically, visibility and credibility also have a role in search engine ranking. Generally, the more online visibility and credibility you have, the higher your search engine ranking.

More importantly, if you understand how people shop for products and services, you will also then know the answer to the question; why get found online?

How People Shop for Products and Services

Almost all consumers now use the Internet is some way to shop locally. The mobile revolution has put the power of the Internet in the hands of local consumers, literally. When people have a need or want, they search for a solution. They then compare options and make a purchasing decision. In our world today the entire process can be done online at any time from anywhere.

So the real question for serious marketers in the digital world should not be; why get found online, but how to get found online.

Local Online Marketing Statics

Below are just some of the many facts and figures that support the idea that any person or business selling products or services locally needs to have a marketing strategy that focuses on creating an online presence that is strong enough to ensure they get found online.

 

  • 72% of consumers who did a local search visited a store within five miles. (WordStream, 2016)

 

  • 30% of mobile searches are related to a location. (Google, 2016)

 

  • 28% of searches for something nearby result in a purchase. (Google, 2016)

 

  • Local searches lead 50% of mobile visitors to visit stores within one day. (Google, 2014)

 

Local online marketing statistics say it all. To see many more statistics click here.

Why Get Found Online Info Graphic

This info graphic that helps illustrate the importance of getting found online for people selling products and services locally.

This info graphic that helps illustrate the importance of getting found online for people selling products and services locally.

 

Why Get Found Online?

 

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Author: Jim Merrick