Where do you search for something that you want to buy? Where would you likely go when searching for information? My best bet is the Internet. If my guess is right, then you likely belong to more than half of American adults who opt to check the Web rather than flip through the yellow pages for information about local businesses. Ann Handley, in her article “Forget the Phone Book: How to Generate Leads for Local Businesses”, cites:
“A study last year by Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 51 percent of U.S. adults get information about local businesses from the internet, rather than from newspapers, word-of-mouth, TV reporting or those tragic phone books.”
What does this evidence translate to? Generating online leads now becomes the name of the game for small local businesses. How can you accomplish this? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Construct your own website using your own domain
Handley cites that “half of small businesses don’t have a website.” Social media sites have become the most preferred option for many small business owners; however this is not necessarily wise. Handley suggests:
“Think of any social platform as an ‘in addition to,’ not an ‘instead of.’ Why? You wouldn’t build a house on rented land, so don’t place your sole web presence on a platform you don’t own.”
WordPress is an example. If you have never used WordPress to build websites, the following tip from Handley might help:
“The software is highly customizable–you’d be surprised how many WordPress-powered sites don’t look like typical blogs–and fairly straightforward to update and maintain. It also allows for easy integration of social widgets, so your site feels more inherently “alive” with customer engagement and interaction. You might consider importing a calendar of local events your business supports, too.”
2. Build local traffic using keywords
Generating leads does not end with just setting up a website. It doesn’t work that way. You need to ensure that people can easily find when they are searching for your site. You have probably heard of search engine optimization, but let’s not about it here. What suffices for now is that Handley offers this advice:
“Your site should have your physical address and phone number (don’t smirk–you’d be surprised how many overlook this!) and should contain geographically specific keywords in various combinations. (For example, a roofing company in Glendale, Calif., should include phrases like “Glendale roofing company,” “greater Los Angeles roofing” and “Glendale, Calif., roofing business.”) Place keywords in the page title, header tags and, where appropriate, in the content of the page itself. Use online research tools like Google AdWords, Wordtracker and Keyword Discovery to research the words and phrases people use when they are searching for the product or service you sell.”
3. Turn visitors to customers
What’s the purpose of the “contact us” form in the website? I personally find the “contact us” information indispensable to any website. Obviously, I agree when Handley says that “A ‘contact us’ form is a nice start toward giving the public a way to reach you online.” Thus, to turn visitors into leads, she suggests:
“One way is to offer free, downloadable how-to kits, guides or worksheets with an eye toward becoming a resource–a trusted advisor who can help potential customers as they inch toward a purchase decision.”
The tips you have read above are not included because your company website can generate leads in many other ways. Understanding how the Internet has become the most accessible source of information for consumers should give you enough hints that building your small company website would serve you best to generate leads.
How do you think should local businesses use the Internet to generate more leads? Please write your thoughts in the comments below.
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