[Video] From Local Underdog to Top Dog: Proven Tactics for Small Businesses to Outplay the Competition
Not too long ago, I got to be interviewed by Mark O'Donnell, the president of a rapidly growing small business networking company called RGA (Revenue Generating Activities). RGA helps businesses grow their referral network to help these small businesses drive more revenue. Mark and I talked about strategies to get more new customers for small businesses.
During the interview, I talked about my background and the 30+ years of marketing experience I bring to my clients. Additionally, for over a year now, I've been directly helping small businesses get more well-known in their local areas. I do this so their potential customers in the area can find them more easily. Some of the main strategies I use include improving their online reviews, boosting their search engine rankings for local searches, and making them look more professional and credible.
One big part of my approach is encouraging their happy customers to leave positive online reviews. Over 90% of customer now read online reviews before making a purchase decision. Good reviews help build a strong reputation online and show that a business provides great products or services. Potential customers are more likely to choose a business with lots of positive reviews.
Another key thing I focus on is improving local search rankings. These days, it's really important for local businesses to show up at the top of search results when people nearby search for what they offer. I use different search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to raise their rankings for local searches. This helps drive more qualified potential customers right to their website or physical location.
My singular focus with small businesses is to make them look more professional, credible and trustworthy online. This includes marketing guidance on website design and optimization, improving their ratings and reviews, enhancing the local search results, and advertising on Google and Facebook, and more. Presenting a polished, trustworthy brand image makes customers feel more confident in choosing and sticking with a business long-term.