Blog Archives - The Great American Buy Local Day

How To Setup a Local Business Listing

Why should you take advantage of local business listings? There are tons of major benefits to getting the word out about your organization with multiple business listings. Not only do they provide valuable information about your information to potential customers, but they also help contribute to your digital footprint and SEO efforts.

Setup a Best Local Business Listings

When getting the word out about your organization, there are plenty of options to choose from to register local businesses. Some of the places you don’t want to miss getting listed on include:

Google local listing

Bing local listing

Yelp Listing

NextDoor Listing

Yahoo Listing

For each listing you create, it’s essential to optimize it to have all the relevant information needed. Among all of the things to include, here are the things you don’t want to forget:

1. Business Name

This one seems like a no-brainer, but you want to make sure that your business name is the same across all of your local business listings so consumers don’t get confused. Continuity across your listings is key!

2. Address

Make sure customers know where to find you by listing the correct address on any directories you are utilizing. For brick and mortar stores, having the correct location details is especially important; so you don’t miss out on valuable foot traffic.

3. Phone Number

Don’t miss calls from customers because your business listing isn’t optimized! Make sure you have the correct phone number listed. For local businesses, a local area code is preferred by many listing sites.

4. Website URL

Delegate traffic to your website so customers can see all that your business has to offer. When linking your website to a listing, you want to make sure that the landing page you are directing users to is user-friendly and will deliver the answers to the questions they have.

5. Categories

When listing your business, many directories or websites will allow you to choose various categories your business may fall under. When categorizing your business, your listing will benefit the most from choosing specific categories that describe what you offer. No repeats is also an important rule! If you already mentioned your service in a category, don’t choose another category with the same service.

6. Description

Tell your customers what you do and what sets you apart from the competition! Think of your description as an elevator pitch for your business online.

7. Tagline

Keep things short and snappy! If your brand is known well for a certain slogan, display that online so it is easily recognizable to customers.

8. Social Profiles

Don’t forget to list your social profiles on your local business listings. Social profiles display validity and information to potential consumers in a fun and engaging way.

9. Images

Different listings have different features, but when using listings that allow you to post images and videos, take advantage of it! Pictures and videos of products or services will help potential customers get a peek into your operations.

10. Certifications

Show off your skills! You can list your qualifications so everyone can see additional verification of your business quality in addition to the local business ratings or local business reviews your business has.

11. Payment Forms Accepted

Listing various payment methods you accept can be influential to potential customers browsing different businesses.

If you own a local business in the USA, start getting recognized online with business listings and directories! Utilizing listings correctly and consistently will help improve your SEO, increase your foot traffic, and boost online sales. What are you waiting for? Start now and get your business listed in the Great American Buy Local Directory for free exposure and recognition.

6 Ways to Promote Your Local Business Online in 2021

When it comes to running a local business, we know a business owner’s number one goal is to acquire new customers and retain loyal ones. Having an online presence is often a great way to promote your business locally. Start making your presence known! Learn how to promote local business online in a few simple ways.

Create a Website

The first step to advertise your business locally is getting a website set up to establish your presence! No matter what type of business you have, a website has become an essential aspect of a business to serve customers information and spread awareness. A website will give you the opportunity to tell the story of your business and communicate your brand story. Don’t forget to list your contact info too, so customers can reach you easily!

Work on SEO

Doing a few optimizations to your website can ensure it will get seen by potential customers searching for your business or services. There are tons of SEO tactics to implement that will help make your business stand out. With geo-targeted keywords ranking at the top of search results is a realistic goal for local businesses.

Create and Verify a Google My Business Listing

Once your website is all set up and optimized, you may be wondering, how do I promote my business online for free? A tool you don’t want to miss out on is Google My Business. Google my Business allows you to create a listing with information about your business like services, hours, price range, contact info, and more.

Beyond the initial setup of your profile, verifying the listing is essential to gain access to all of the benefits of using the platform. Optimizing your GMB listing will help your business show up more on Google in places like the “map pack” and suggested businesses. Plus, with a verified profile, customers can leave local business ratings and ask questions then you can engage with them directly through the platform.

Make a Blog

Putting out consistent and valuable content relating to your business online will help you relate to your audience and get your business found. Making a blog on your website will give you opportunities to go over topics that your customers care about. Blogs can also be repurposed to share on social media and are highly shareable! Utilizing SEO tactics blogs will not only engage your audience, but can help your website rank higher as well.

Get Social

Social media’s benefit is in its name; it’s a great way to be social! For local businesses asking how can I promote my business for free? Social media is a great option. Different platforms provide a key way to connect with customers! Whether you are answering questions, displaying new products, or addressing customer concerns, social media can act as the lifeline between customers and you.

Utilize Online Directories

Another great way to spread the word about your business is to sign up for online directories. Online directories are the modern-day yellow pages, but much simpler to use, easy to update, and less expensive. You can register local businesses on various directories to get recognized. Optimize your listings by making sure you fill out as much information as possible and that your information is consistent across all of your listings.

Don’t wait to start promoting your local business in the USA! Promoting your business online is simple, easy, and the opportunities are endless! You can sign up for the Great American Buy Local Directory today to get free exposure on our website and social channels. The process is easy, just visit our website, get your business listed and click register my business!

10 Local Business Ideas to Launch in 2021

Starting a local business is a daunting but exciting process as you enter the entrepreneur world of stress and satisfaction. Choosing the right type of business to create is an important factor when it comes to your happiness and the success of your business.

Need a few ideas for your local business? We’ve got you covered! Check out our list of the top 10 types of local businesses in the USA to open in 2021:

Dropshipping | Local Business

Want to sell products but don’t have the money to invest in inventory? Dropshipping is your solution! With dropshipping, you don’t have to worry about storing or buying the inventory you are selling beforehand.

With a dropshipping business model, you partner with wholesalers or suppliers that package and send the products for you. So you can choose the products you want to sell, then when orders are placed, you place an order with your supplier.

Dropshipping lets you explore eCommerce with less pressure on your business. Using the method, it is easy to advertise business locally or to targeted areas.

Catering Local Business

From business events to child parties, there are endless niches to enter the catering game. Invest into equipment, food options, and some good marketing to get the word out to get started. A great way to boost your catering business is to encourage customers to leave local business reviews.

Website Flipping

You may be familiar with flipping houses, but have you heard of flipping websites? It’s just as it sounds; you take an already existing website and improve it with design elements, SEO, and improved content, then turn around and sell it. With a little digital knowledge, this could be a great option for your business venture.

Online Store

Have a product you produce that you are passionate about? An online store is a great way to get the word out about your goods. There are tons of website builders that will allow you to get things set up on your own to promote business locally.

Online Bookkeeping

If you are an accountant looking for a new investment, you can consider starting an online bookkeeping business. With virtual tools that can be used for accounting and communication with clients, this is a great option for a new business.

Airbnb Owner

Put your host or hostess hat on and make a profit! Whether you rent out a single room or a whole property, anyone can make revenue from managing a rental property. Different platforms and tools can help you spread the word about your specific location and why it is special.

Event Planner

Put your organizational skills to test and try your hand at event planning. Use your connections and network to plan functions of all sizes for different clients. Local business ratings from clients can help boost your business and grow your clientele.

Food Truck

If you like being on the go and creating unique food combinations, a food truck could be a great investment for your new business. Serve your local community your favorite dishes all around town.

Personal Shopper

Shop till you drop, and get paid for it! Starting a personal shopper business can be a great way to make an income with little to no investment to get started.

Fitness Instructor

If you love spending time in the gym, creating your own fitness program and hosting fitness classes could be a great option. You could keep the business local or as many businesses over the past year, you could host virtual classes and programs.

Whatever type of business you decide to open, you can promote it in various ways to make sure it gets the exposure it needs to be successful. Register your business with the Great American Buy Local Directory today to get started.

How a Local Business Listing Can Boost your SEO

A business listing entry is essential to helping customers to find products and services online. Since visibility makes a difference in maximizing sales and improving performance ratings, business listings play a key role in helping boost business.

Business Listings in a Nutshell

Customers search for various kinds of businesses, services, and products online every day. As an entrepreneur, making the job easy for the user is essential. Listing your business in several citations opens up more opportunities and sales for your business. Consumers don’t just rely on popular search engines like Google to search for new businesses, but also refer to local business listings in the USA. These listings can be a good advantage for entrepreneurs who want to optimize different ways of connecting with their customers. At the same time, with so many online listings automatically generated, you must consistently manage them to ensure relevant, up-to-date information.

Business Listings for Local SEO

With online listings, you can be sure that your customers will be able to find you easily. An important aspect of online listings is regular monitoring, verification, and updates across all channels which is great for keeping your customers up-to-date. It is smart to improve your SEO through local business listings in the USA, to ensure better business opportunities and higher queries for your business on several search engines. SEO draws traffic, optimizes website search ranking, and gives better results. Local SEO makes your business stand out among the competition. Moreover, SEO can cut marketing costs and validate your business to potential customers.

Steps Towards Successful Local SEO

An effective way of gaining more online visibility is to get a Google My Business account. Once you enter your relevant business information, your business profile is ready for your customers to view and communicate through. With a Google My Business account, you can even publish posts, special offers, and list important information like payment methods. Encourage your users to write positive reviews since research has shown that it definitely contributes to more sales. Optimize voice search, so your customers can find what they need quickly and accurately. Nothing catches attention like well thought out content, stories, videos, blog posts, and activities.

With more and more businesses shifting online, local business listings in the USA will help you actually reach your customers.

How to advertise your business in USA

Adapting Your Small Business During Covid Times

Whether you have a new business or an established one, the Covid pandemic has taken its toll on every establishment. As per Facebook’s State of Small Business report, 31% of small businesses have become non-operational due to Covid-19. However, if you have managed to come through so far and are looking at ways to advertise your business in the USA, the simple answer is to look at business listing websites. They have a lot to offer in exchange for very little, and some are even free. Read below to find out how they can leverage your marketing strategy and business.

Appeal to Consumers to Buy Local

With almost half of all Americans employed by small businesses, business listing websites help get the word out to consumers and businesses alike to become your customers. If you carefully consider how to advertise your business in the USA, it actually makes sense to appeal to your local community since it keeps things simple. As a member of the same community you can encourage people to book services or make purchases locally. Asking customers to refer their friends and family to your website directly and posting testimonials helps more potential customers get introduced to your services. Buying local helps to boost the local economy, increase demand, and create more jobs.

Provides Additional Links

A professionally maintained website will not just include an introduction or testimonials of your company on the website alone, but will also have links to social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter as well as other media to support the cause of buying from local businesses. These websites often post discussions with industry experts, helpful information on how to improve your marketing, common mistakes to avoid, or upgrades you should make to your technology.

Asking yourself how to advertise your business in the USA is the first step you should take to steer your business in the right direction.

How to Get the Most out of a Business Listing Site

While finding a reliable free business listing site is the first step, your business success also depends on how you use the website to benefit your business. Unfortunately, many start-ups fail in one of these areas, and this spells disaster for new companies looking to make a mark in the market. Let’s take a quick look at a few aspects to keep in mind.

Intelligent branding

Before you use a free business listing site, identify your target market so you can present the right information to appeal to them. It is important to position your products or services in such a way that it appeals to your prospective customers. This initial step may take a fair bit of analysis and planning but it will pay off in the long run.

Accurate information

In your enthusiasm to tell others about your new product or service through a free business listing site, it is critical that all information published online is factually accurate and true. A wise business will try and build credibility and trust right from day one. Once trust is broken, it becomes very difficult to regain trust in the future.

Genuine testimonials

As mentioned above, the tendency may be to write your own glowing testimonials in order to promote your business. However, customers are smart, and it is rather simple to distinguish between a fake review and a genuine testimonial. Rather than flood your post with a dozen fake testimonials, it is better to get just a few from real customers, written in their own language and style.

Real connection

While using a free business listing site, your intent should be to build a real and lasting connection with prospective customers. Buy targeting local customers, you are taking the first step in the right direction. By harnessing the powers of the Internet, it will only be a matter of time before your business picks up new orders and customers.