The Importance of Internet Local Search for Small Business
A study released in October, 2009 by TMP Directional Marketing (www.tmpdm.com) examines the annual growth of online local search including changes in consumer behavior. It should come as no surprise that the study revealed further movement toward online search channels such as Internet search engines, mobile platforms and social media. The study shows the search industry expanding quickly: the total number of U.S. searches has grown in the last year by 31 percent!
Internet search engines remain the primary source for local business information, although the growth is slight. Among the search engines, local search sites increased in usage only one percent. Internet Yellow Pages sites useage increased a modest two percent.
TMP Directional Marketing, in its press release, said:
“Each media type plays an important role in the consumer purchase process. Buyers use numerous channels at different times and for different reasons,” said Gregg Stewart, president of TMPDM’s full-service interactive division 15miles. “But the growing demand for local business information across interactive search platforms, especially online and mobile, is creating additional opportunities for national advertisers to reach consumers with more relevance. In order to reach target audiences, marketers must think locally and focus their messages on local marketplaces where consumers shop.”
How Online Search Is Used
The study showed that people were more likely to use online searches to research the brands to buy and to find businesses that offer those brands. Almost 40 percent used online research to help them figure out their purchase selection.
TMPDM’s study also found that 83 percent of local search users contacted businesses offline, with 46 percent of making contacts over the phone and 37 percent visiting the businesses in person. Half of all online local business searchers made purchases.
In another key finding of the survey, nearly two-thirds of those surveyed stated that they expected their search results to reveal businesses within 15 miles of their homes or places of work.
Mobile Search Is Growing
TMPDM found that 22 million people were using the mobile Internet through June 2009, accessing local business information mostly via a mobile browser. In fact, 127 percent more users accessed local content via downloaded applications on mobile devices than in the previous year!
Here’s some more of the mobile stats from the study:
- Thirty-two percent of searchers with Internet-capable cellular phones search for local business information from the mobile Internet, an 11 percent increase from 2008.
- Of mobile searchers with Internet-ready devices, 60 percent of smartphone owners search on Internet browsers or via downloaded applications.
- Only five percent of mobile searchers send text messages from their cellular phones to directory assistance. But overall, the number of mobile users who look up local information via SMS grew by 27 percent.
A Lesson for the Local Businessman
A surprising number of local businesses are still without any kind of web presence. Considering the continued growth in online searching for local providers, coupled with the rapid rise in the use of moble devices for searching, local businesses can no longer afford to remain offline. Those that do will be missing potential customers who are searching for their products and services online in ever-increasing numbers.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to develop a web presence. One of these is to register your business at Google Maps. You’ll first need a Google account. Once you have that, go to Google Maps (maps.google.com) and click on the link “Put your business on Google Maps,” and then sign in. Click “Add new listing” and enter all your information.
This information will be used to generate a local “landing page” when your name is listed from a search done at Google Maps. All the details can be found in this helpful video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lviDz8fUMTE.
There are also a lot of other free places on the web you may register your business. Do some searching on the web and you’ll easily find this (maybe I’ll do another article on this topic).
Last, but not least, you can hire a web services firm (like my company, GreatCircle Studios, www.greatcirclestudios.com, shameless plug!) to create a website for you. Make sure to only purchase as much site as you need. If you have no site currently and your budget is tight, go for a one to three page brochure site built from a template. You can always grow it from there. However, any site – even a one-page one – is better than no site at all.
Note: This article has also been published on Technocrati.com.
11 Comments
December 17th, 2009 at 9:21 am
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December 20th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Welcome and thanks for the comment :)
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