Where do you turn when you need to find a neighborhood dentist or to read reviews of the new Italian restaurant down the street? If you’re like the rest of Dallas – and we sure hope you are – you probably answered the internet. It’s true – the web has become the go-to resource for everything local, which means if your small business isn’t maximizing its presence online, you’re missing out on leads as a result.
Still not convinced? Let us indulge you. Here are 7 eye-popping, jaw-dropping, mind-blowing statistics about local search marketing that just might change your mind once and for all.
1. 97% of consumers use the internet to research a local product, service or business before making a purchasing decision. Unless you’re targeting that lowly 3%, this statistic alone should convince you of the importance of having a strong online presence for your business.
2. 50% of the prospects who surf a business’ mobile website will end up visiting the actual store within 1 day. That’s right. According to Google, local searchers are highly likely to take action. One minute they’re reading about your latest sale on their smartphone, the next they’re at your door looking to take advantage of that deal. This is why ranking well in local search is so important.
3. 78% of local mobile searches result in an offline purchase. So, even if they don’t end up at your door within a day of finding you online, chances are still pretty high that they’ll eventually end up doing business with you. Can you really afford to be missing out on something that converts almost 80% of the time?!?
4. 92% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as they do recommendations from their own friends and family members. Reviews are a huge component of local internet marketing as they’re one of the first things that pop up when someone searches for a local business online. And as this particular stat demonstrates, they’re also incredibly powerful at driving leads to your door. To take advantage of this, make sure you’re listed on all the major review sites, including Yelp, Google My Business, Yahoo! Local and anything else that may be relevant to your particular industry.
5. Over 60% of consumers say they have used the contact information in ads to interact with a local business. Furthermore, when it comes to local ads, Google also found that the majority of people tend to have a distinct preference on the information they want to see in ads:
– 67% of smartphone users prefer ads that are customized by city and zip code
– 61% want ads customized to their current surroundings
– 61% will contact a business directly via the phone number and address in an ad
– 68% will use the “call” and/or “get directions” buttons
– Keep this information in mind when designing your online advertisements.
6. 72% of small businesses are using social as part of their local search marketing efforts. That means if you’re not, your competition is reaching your customers instead of you. And since 7 out of 10 consumers are more likely to use a business that has information available on a social site, your bottom line is paying the price.
7. The number 1 reason for conducting a local search online is to locate a known business. Yep. You read that right. So, that means that local business internet marketing is even important for reaching your existing customers. Now couple this with the fact that the majority of your prospects are also searching for local businesses like yours and the question is no longer should you invest in local search marketing, but rather why the heck haven’t you started already?!?
Ready to stop resisting and start reaping the benefits of local internet marketing for your business?. Quickly discover how your business appears across the internet. Contact us now.
