When I got started online, I was hospital tech working the graveyard shift at a local hospital. Around the time they were getting ready to fire me, I was sort of afraid of the future; you know that feeling of not knowing what’s around the corner?
This let me to fill out job applications for countless jobs. Being that I wasn’t one of those A+ employees that knew everything about the company in and out, I could never remember the address or phone number to put on my applications.
I’m sort of ashamed to admit this but I must have accounted for a hundred or so searches in Google for that hospital.
Every search brought up all their information; from the exact address via Google Maps down to the phone number.
Thinking back on those less than amusing times, I now see how important it is for offline businesses to bring their business online.
This led me to wanting to help offline business owners bring their businesses online and get on the first page of Google. More on that later.
Why Offline Businesses Should Be Fighting To Get On Google
I say fighting but I’m not talking about business owners squaring off with gloves in a boxing ring.
I mean they should seriously be looking to get their businesses online. As this becomes more popular and demand increases, prices are going up.
Google accounts for more than 70% of online search traffic. That means 7 out of 10 people use the Big G to search for solutions, products & services.
Every month, hundreds to thousands of people head to the #1 search engine in the world and search for specific terms.
Am example would be “24 Hour Plumber in CITY”
This brings up a list of plumbers in the area but not just any butt crack showing plumber. A savvy business smart plumber who knows how to capitalize on the most efficient way to attract customers since the phone book.
In a recent press release on offline business advertising, it’s mentioned how the old forms of marketing for offline businesses are pretty much dead; or on life support.
New Ways To Market Businesses Online
There are a number of ways to market an offline business online. These methods can save thousands in advertising dollars while increasing customers & profits by well over 100%.
Custom Business Website
This is not a must but it really makes a business look more professional when they can send potential customers or clients to a site that provides details on their business; from all their products to a break down of their services and prices.
Having a custom website is the business card of this age. Prices can range from a few hundred dollars to up in the thousands depending on how custom the site is.
Google Places or G+ Pages Listing
Google seems to be catering to offline business specifically with these services.
A G+ business page is tied directly to their Google Plus social network and ranks very well in Google.
Google Places is the older but still effective version of G+
Both allow you to put all of the most important details about a business including but not limited to:
- Address
- Hours of operation
- Prices
- Pictures
- Videos
You can also send customers to these pages to leave reviews which allow you to rank higher than other listings simply because you have people leaving positive feedback.
Marketing Through Videos
Video is becoming the new way to market online. Robert Kyncl, the Vice President and Global Head of Content for Google/YouTube, recently said that video will account for more than 90% of all online traffic in the next few years.
I believe Google saw this coming and this was the reason they bought Youtube in 2006 for 1.65 billion dollars.
Now it is easier to rank a video on the first page of Google than it is to rank an entire website full of content.
Creating a video explaining your products or services along with contact info, is quickly becoming a top way of marketing an offline business. It’s basically like doing a TV commercial but uploading it to YouTube and targeting people who are specifically looking for what you offer.
Much better than having some cheesy commercial playing to thousands of untargeted people hoping a few take you up on your offer.
Putting It All Together
This may seem a bit overwhelming for some but I’m going to explain how this all goes together.
I mentioned earlier that it’s good to have a website. This is because no matter which form of marketing you do, whether online or offline, you want to have somewhere to send your potential customers and even repeat customers.
Now imagine having a video that ranks for a search term which gets 800 searches per month. That’s around 800 targeted people searching for what you have to offer in your city.
Chances are they are going to watch it and hit your website for more info, give you a call or head down to your place of business.
Videos convert viewers into customers so well because they build rapport; something where text and even pictures come up short.
Having a business listed in Google with either Google Places or G+ pages is not a must but once again, it gives you another avenue to bring new customers through to your business..
Conclusion
When I first started learning about this, it seemed a bit overwhelming so I can only imagine what someone else who has no knowledge of Google or any of this technical stuff, is thinking right now.
My personal opinion on this is to focus on what you do best; run your business. Let the professionals handle the technical stuff.
I hope you found this post informative. Please comment share.
Do you have any good marketing tips for offline business owners? Please share because we’d love to hear them.
If you have an offline business and are interested in getting more customers, let us rank your business in Google using the methods mentioned above.
Dennis Marshall
Founder of Presposure.com
