Local search for SMEs
DMNews.comIssues and answers... or objections and rebutals for selling to SMEs...
"Local search technology has opened the door wide for local businesses to use the Internet to attract new customers. Thanks to “geo-targeting” capabilities, advertisers can aim their ads specifically to consumers within designated geographic areas, making online advertising perhaps the most cost-effective marketing channel for virtually any type of local business....
the blunt reality of today’s “self-serve” search engine business -- search engine marketing is hard. You have to establish relationships with several online publishers, manage multiple keyword buys and monitor constantly changing bids for those keywords. This takes time, which most small business owners don’t have.
Search engine optimization also requires that you keep track of what times of day your potential customers are most likely to be online (you’ll want to bid higher during that time), and maintain a complex matrix of what works and what doesn’t in terms of specific keywords, bid amounts, etc. The complexity is daunting and, for most small businesses, a deterrent to Internet marketing.
Some vendors will build a site for you or create a specific landing page to be used for your campaign. A recent Pew Internet Project survey revealed that if a business provides products and/or services information online -- even if it does not sell products online -- 50 percent of Americans would be more likely to go to the store to transact business. Given that, a simple page that points consumers to your offline business may be enough.
Tracking, tracking, tracking. Accurate, thorough tracking of any action resulting from your campaign is critical. Analyzing click data is meaningful only to a degree; you need to account for offline actions, too -- telephone calls and walk-in visits to your brick-and-mortar store or office."
posted by Jen @ 10:40 AM
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