In this age of the Internet and the world getting smaller and smaller, there is a school of thought out there that contends that your business location does not have the same importance as it used to. That the old adage of the three things that matter most for any business – location, location, location – is no longer relevant. No longer valid.
It’s interesting then how some retailers are finding out very quickly that having a physical presence is kind of critical to selling your products. How else do you explain Amazon testing new brick and mortar concepts, Warby Parker famously launching as an online eyewear discounter then opening flagship stores in major cities?
Could it be that there are different types of consumers out there? Some who want the tactile experience of shopping in a mall or trying on a product, while a different subset prefer the ease and convenience of shopping from their sofas in the comfort of their own homes?
Well, the truth is, whether you are a bricks and mortar retailer or strictly an e-commerce business, you will sell more if you can be found online. Today’s consumers start the shopping experience on their computers or, even more frequently, on their mobile devices. Consider the following: 97% of smartphone users use a search engine on their mobile device at least once per week; 85% of consumers still prefer to shop in physical stores vs. online; and 50% of local searches lead to a store visit within a day. So all roads do lead to your brick and mortar location.
As a result, the best and most cost effective advertising approaches that a small retailer can employ are to:
- Ensure that your location can be found on all of the search engines and maps that people are using when looking for small local businesses;
- Optimize your keywords to ensure that they stay relevant by monitoring and tweaking them over time and;
- Use the data from your keyword performance to direct marketing budget to search engine marketing, or pay-per-click advertising.
This is where we can help. Allow 10-20 Marketing to help claim your listings, post your menu or price list, monitor your comments online, monitor your keywords and geomodifiers, and recommend your best course of action.
In today’s day and age, your location is still critical. But it is your location on the search engines and maps that will ultimately help determine the longevity of your business. Allow us to put you on the map.