Web Marketing To Beat The Competition

Last week I was looking for a special part for my computer and did a test and after scowering the yellow pages and speaking to a few technicians found that there was a store in another state that had the part but they didn’t know the name of the store.

I jumped online and found the part in a few minutes and placed the order.

Now this may not be common for all businesses however if I want a service or product I normallysearch the Internet first and this is becomming the norm in todays society. In fact recent statistics show that people are now using the Internet more than the yellow pages to search for products and services.

Ease of Use - People do what is easy.

Access to the Internet via work, home or any library have truly made getting online easy. According to Jupiter Media, over 64% of people who are looking for information online, use search engines. If I can type my problem or what I want into a search engine and find what I need, I don’t need to go through the 100 pages of ads in the yellow pages.

Search engines are getting more precise down to an industry specialty and geographic focus, while also continuing to be easier to use.

Comparison of Yellow Pages vs. Search Engine – In reviewing these two models we need to compare the traits and cost basis of each media.

Clearly, the Yellow Pages model is more expensive while also being significantly less flexible and scalable than online search engines. Many industries do very well using the yellow pages so this is not a bash yellow pages however by utilizing a little bit of both you will be ahead of the game.

Differentiation vs. Directory – As a business owner, the last thing I would do is give my prospects a detailed list of my competitors, including addresses and phone numbers. But that is exactly what the Yellow Pages do. Using search engines, you can differentiate yourself from everyone else. So when the ideal client is looking for what you do, they find you, not all your competitors.

The Yellow Pages industry is over 100 years old and according to the Direct Marketing Association is a 12 Billion plus market. It is not going away. Yellow Pages Online and many industry specific directories are now being aggressively marketed. In our studies, we have seen very little traffic or lead generation coming from these online directories. If you are approached to be in an online directory, ask if you can pay for it by the number of visitors and/or leads to your site. You won’t get many takers on that offer.

The Future Big Winner in Search … Local Firms! The traditional success model for winning online has been the ability to sell your product or service nationally or internationally. However, local or regional firms could not leverage the national and international traffic that search engines brought because they were only licensed or had services available in a specific city, state or region.

Good news … the search engines now have the ability to determine where the search is coming from.What that means to you is you can target all the way down to a city, zip or area code. If you have a firm that has a defined geographic area, you have an incredible opportunity to be the top firm that comes up when people use a search engine for services in your area.

Wow! can this be true? If so, where do I begin? Based on these trends there are five things you need to do today to differentiate you from your competition. We suggest that you change your strategy and reallocate your budget as follows:

1. Look at your Yellow Page investment.

What did it cost you last year and what business came directly from it? If the numbers work, keep doing it. However if the answer to this question is “I don’t know”, we have a suggestion. Keep the yellow pages ad, just make it smaller.

Take the 50% you save on your budgeted yellow page fees and use it to directly drive online prospects to your firm. If you are satisfied with your results with yellow pages, take 20-30% of your current budget to be online. As phone books and directories continue to diminish in value, you will be ahead of the curve.

Even their online search volume is declining.

2. Have your own site

If you are in a directory and it has created a simple site for you, don’t worry about tracking traffic, you probably aren’t getting any. Make sure you have your site set up as your own, and that people can find you through normal search engines, not just through the directory. Also, remember that if clients find you through directories, you are introducing them to all your competitors. Be careful.

3. Measure – Look at your site.

You should know how many people come to your site. If you are signed up with an online or directory service, get your numbers from them. You will probably be surprised with the low amount of visitors and leads you get. If the directory provider can’t (or doesn’t want to) get you your performance numbers, fire them!

4. Add Relevant Location Text to your Site

People today are using search engines to find what you do in your city. Make sure that the search engines can easily know your address, city, state, zip and area code. If you have areas that you specialize in, make sure location info are on those pages too.

5. Start Using the Online Model Now

The beauty of the online model is that it can be altered almost immediately and your business should have full control of the online portion of your business. It is also virtually everlasting so the work you do on your web Marketing today will bring in work for years to come.

If you would like us to evaluate your current online marketing and website be sure to contact us for a free evaluation.

Good Selling.

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