Ron Goldblatt • March 14, 2022
Small Business: 3 Ways to Boost Your Online Presence
There are a number of digital marketing strategies that can be utilized to get found online.
We all know that a strong online presence is a vital component to any successful business. Luckily, small business marketing can be quite manageable and affordable. As long as you know where to start and what your online competition looks like, you are already ahead of the game!
Without a strong digital presence, your business will have a much harder time getting found online. To improve your website ranking, gain more traffic, and attract new customers, there are several components you need to look at.
In this post, we’ll discuss three of the best ways to boost your online presence so you can get more customers through your door!
1. Optimize your website
The first digital marketing strategy is to optimize your website for local search engines. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a vital step in growing your online presence. That's because it makes it easier for internet users and search engines like Google to find you!
According to Safari Digital, local intent accounts for 46% of all Google searches. So small businesses who don't include a local SEO plan in their marketing strategy risk ranking lower in local search results.
To improve your web presence through local SEO, start with the basics: keyword research and on-page optimization.
Once you have these strategies in place, it’s time to focus on other tactics to make your digital footprint even stronger. For instance, writing unique yet engaging content for your website can help improve rankings in local search engines.
Another great marketing plan is building links from other high-quality websites to your own. Websites that have more backlinks help increase domain authority, allowing you to rank higher in the organic search engine results.
The small business marketing strategies above are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to website optimization!
2. Optimize your Google Listing
If you want to attain local search success, optimizing your Google listing is also essential. Your Google Business Profile, formerly known as your Google My Business page, allows users to highlight important information about their small business which provides easier access for those browsing the web.
In order to improve your web presence through Google, your small business information should be consistent across all online profiles. An optimized business profile on Google will include an accurate business name, geographic area, and phone number. Be sure to add a descriptive title and add images of your business. This will really help potential clients visualize your company’s online presence.
Your Google listing is not a set and forget it approach. On a weekly or monthly basis, you need to be consistently updating your Google listing with new images, posts, and Q&A’s. This ongoing activity is crucial to keep your content fresh so Google can see your updated online presence.
Optimizing your Google listing will allow your business to build trust and help you gain exposure so your local customers in your target market can find you!
3. Have more reviews than your competition
Lastly, acquiring more reviews than your competition is another crucial component to your marketing efforts for increasing your internet presence.
Depending on how many reviews your business has, your online presence could be very strong or nearly nonexistent. As a result, reviews can have a positive impact on your company. Not only do they boost your web exposure, but they also help develop digital authority and improve your overall online reputation.
Furthermore, online directories like Google and Yelp are very effective at ranking businesses. However, they do so by using keywords, which can make it more difficult for small businesses to stand out. Therefore, one of the best ways to rank higher on these sites is to get more reviews than your competition. This is because it helps people searching the web easily identify which business is the “best choice” for them.
Here are a few ways to build reviews for your small business:
- Ask satisfied customers to leave you a review on your website.
- Also encourage customers to leave reviews on Google, Yelp and other online directories.
- Consider adding “Review Us” buttons to your site so it’s easy for people to find.
- Offer incentives to leave reviews for your business.
Ultimately, having more 5 star reviews than your competition is key if you want potential customers to do business with you!
Conclusion
If you want your small business to get found, there are three main strategies that can help you compete in the online marketplace. First, optimize your website with keyword research and implement on-site local SEO best practices. Doing this will help your website rank higher in search results for relevant keywords.
Another strategy is to optimize your Google listing. This ensures that all of the information about your company’s products or services are accurate and up-to-date. This should include your contact info, physical location, hours of operation, etc.
Finally, having more reviews than local competitors is crucial in driving enough traffic to your site.
Here at NorthShore Loyalty, we offer a free consultation for small business owners who are looking to grow their online presence. Contact us today or visit our homepage to learn more about the services that we provide!
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You’ve heard it a million times – you need a website for a business to build your online presence, get customers to review your business, and more. But do you understand why? It’s essential to understand the value in doing these things to learn how to do them and succeed online. At NorthShore Loyalty , we want to help you and your business thrive, and in today’s digital world, understanding how to stand out online is a critical step in doing that. Here’s a breakdown of the 5 key reasons it’s so important for businesses to have a strong ad healthy online presence: 1. Allows you to meet your customers where they already are Like we said – we live in a digitally focused world. The last time you needed a specific product or service and didn’t know where to go, what did you do? Chances are, you pulled out your phone or laptop, Googled highly-rated businesses in your area that provide that product or service, whittled down the options and went to that business. If you do this often, you’re not alone. According to Pew Research Center , 91% of adults use search engines (including Google, Yahoo or Bing) to find information. When you exist online, you can meet your customers halfway when they are searching for a product or service you provide.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Ron Goldblatt Northbrook, Ill. – FEBRUARY 2021 – NorthShore Loyalty, a community-based digital marketing company, now offers restaurants an easy and effective solution for their customers to order menu items online as dine in options remain limited and the use of smartphones for ordering continues to increase. Their program follows what they call the “30/30/30 Rule” for online menu orders: Over 30% of orders are online, so you must have online ordering with credit card processing. Paying 30% commission to third parties and charging more for online items hurts sales and the bottom line. Most restaurants see a 30% or more increase in average order value when purchased online. “Our new online ordering program is flexible, easy to set up and maintain, and customers love it,” said Ron Goldblatt, founder, and owner of NorthShore Loyalty. “Restaurant customers can customize their order and check out quickly, and restaurants have the opportunity to earn more, view real time analytics and can email or text message updates on new offers and promotions.” The platform was designed to be convenient and helpful for both the restaurant and customer. The following features accomplish this goal: A customizable option that makes up-selling easy. A optimized checkout page to increase conversions. Automatic data refill for returning customers. Fast, real time confirmation of the order. In-store app for accepting orders. Promotion engine that allows restaurants to advertise offers via email and text marketing. Reporting module that gives insight on order numbers, delivery heat map & more. To learn more about the program or set up a consultation, contact Ron Goldblatt at 847-477-0429 or via northshoreloyalty.com. About NorthShore Loyalty: NorthShore Loyalty is a community-focused digital services company that has been in the digital and mobile marketing business for over five years. Using specialized marketing tactics, NorthShore Loyalty creates original content for local businesses to attract new customers and encourage current ones to come back more often. Their business purpose is to create measurable engagement with new and existing customers to drive more traffic to their clients, and ultimately increase their client’s revenue . Their social purpose is to amplify their client’s community involvement. To learn more about NorthShore Loyalty and its services, click here.
Summary of a WSJ article October 10, 2020. By Heather Haddon Summary: The big chains have a huge advantage over the local eateries. They have more capital, leverage, terms, space, numerous geographic locations, and flexibility. They have also had prior experience for carry out and delivery. Chipotle sales tripled this summer, Dominos and Papa John’s sales doubled and Wingstop created a delivery only item that was a huge success. On a local level for small busineseses, the news is not so rosy, in any given year, 60,000 restaurants open and 50,000 usually close. This year that closed number is expected to hit 100,000. Interesting some of the Big Chain casual dining places also had casualties. Ruby Tuesday, Shake Shack, California and Pizza Kitchen all filed for bankruptcy. Many other chains had to close locations, but at the same time opened new ones. One theme across the board, now is not the time to sit back as the major chain get more aggressive. There are valuable lessons and action steps that small businesses can do as well. We reviewed these trends and laid out an 8-step action plan that can help small businesses . These 8 steps are in two main categories, Physical Location and Mobile Trends. Physical Trends/Action Points There needs to be less focus on premise dining with fewer people indoors Need to look a multiple drive through options including converting parking space areas Even in the cold weather, more outside dining options need to be added but follow local safety guidelines Need to bring staff to the outdoors. Offer pick up windows, offer curbside pickup and Fast Service outside dining Mobile Trends / Action Points Digital menus are more common, make it easy to upload on a mobile phone using QR codes Online ordering needs to minimize clicks, remember past orders, and offer a credit card check out Need to connect digitally with current customers using email, social media, and text messaging QR codes are trending! Look at using them for signing up customers for messaging or to order on premise. The restaurant staff also need help. Their hours are cut back, there are less tips with less table service and these new ways to order usually means less tips overall for servers, chefs and staff who share the tips. We have heard from our North Shore restaurants that locals have been very generous with tips on pick ups and window orders. We hope this trend continues through the winter months. Other trends to consider: Packaging meals for the customers to cook is growing. Premium meats, seafood and chicken all make great takeout items when package with local sides or spices. Offering specially drinks with takeout meals is growing. Many local laws now allow alcohol takeout sales. Focus on specialty drinks like Margaritas, Mojitos or offering flights of Beer or Wine. Steak establishments are offering some of their premium wines at a discount with any takeout order. Family Packs of meals that feed four for under $50 are popular or offering lower cost proteins to hit a price point. About NorthShore Loyalty: NorthShore Loyalty is a community-focused digital services company. Our business purpose is to create measurable engagement with new and existing customers to drive more traffic to our clients and increase their revenue. Our social purpose is to amplify our client’s community involvement. During the pandemic we have provided our clients, new websites, more online reviews, an improvement in their search engine ranking, and most important an easy way to connect with customers using our Text Messaging and Loyalty services . Call or text us at 847-477-0429 to learn more.
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To state the obvious, the times we have been living in have not been easy on the overall health of our country. COVID-19 has burdened the world with deadly sickness, economic hardship, and overall fear of what the future holds. And as we re-open our country again, it’s important to take steps to preserve safety and health for our customers, and also ensure they feel comfortable.
In times like this, you need a way to talk to your customers fast. Especially when everything is closing up and everyone is trying to stay healthy, people want to know what your business is doing to work around the chaos and adapt. And while there are certainly several marketing tactics that can highlight your brand and create a large impact over time, there are a few strategies that we find are most useful when we want to communicate to customers fast and efficiently. At NorthShore Loyalty, we have found the following tactics to be most successful in providing immediate, personal communication to your customers:
Own a Small Business? Click Here to view a wide offering of blogs to navigate the digital world. The most important thing we have learned during Coronavirus is how to come together in times of crisis. Everyone plays a part in fighting this thing, big or small. Whether your role is being a frontline healthcare worker, or simply staying home to keep yourself and others safe, everyone’s due diligence is significantly needed at this time. Local restaurant owners understand that coming together as a community is needed now more than ever. To show their support, they are finding unique ways to give back to those in need and provide meals for folks in our area. To learn more on what restaurants in the North Shore are doing to support their community during this time, we called the many restaurants using our services and asked for their input. Below are some of the different ways we learned on how they are giving back and what all residents and other businesses can do to help in this crisis. Providing meals to first responders and local essential business Restaurants are offering promotions to give back to first responders in the area during this time. For example, Nick Drivas, owner of Grill House and Backyard Grill, runs a family special that gives a portion of sale to first responders. Costa Louvros, owner of Eggspresso in Bannockburn, and Larry Goodman, owner of Marcello’s in Northbrook, also understand the importance of giving back to our frontline workers. Both restaurants donate to local police and fire departments so those workers can stay working during the pandemic. The staff at Stacked and Folded (located in Evanston and Winnetka) also does their part to provide meals for our first responders. “We are honored to help our first responders and health care workers in any way we can,” stated Josh Keating owner of Stacked and Folded. Restaurants are also finding businesses that are considered essential and are giving to them. Butterfield’s restaurant in Northbrook, for example, provides plates of French toast to the workers at the local post office. Offering promotions that give to local food banks With business and school closures, job layoffs, and many other factors, folks are in need now more than ever. During this pandemic, millions of Americans are looking for support from food banks. Ted Vlahakis, owner of Greek Feast, recognizes this fact. That’s why he gives back 50 percent of all beer and wine orders to the Northfield Township Food Pantry. No one should go hungry during this pandemic, and this is a great way to ensure those in need are fed. Marcello’s has also donated juices and food items to Northfield Township Food Pantry. “It’s important to connect with our community during this time and we could tell they were very appreciative of our help,” said Marcello’s owner Larry Goodman. How you can help: Greek Feast and Marcello’s are supporting those who need it most. You can help by purchasing beer and wine from Greek Feast with your Greek dinner, and ordering some pizza online from Marcello’s. Visit the Greek Feast and Marcello’s websites, linked at the bottom, to order online today. Additionally, food pantries in your neighborhood are in need of cereals, beverages, personal hygiene items and household cleaning supplies. None of this should be wasted right now. Visit the websites below to see how you can help today. Northfield Township Food Pantry Northern Illinois Food Bank Greater Chicago Food Depository North Shore SDA Church Feeding America Donating food to local hospitals Our healthcare workers are on the forefront in the race to put an end to COVID-19. While many of us get to stay home and be with family, hospital workers are on the floors of the war against this virus. As they are working long and difficult shifts, it’s important we show our support and take care of them. Judy’s Pizza, Tamales, Stacked and Folded and Butterfield’s are all donating to and offering special promotions for their local hospitals in the North Shore. One Highland Park resident encourages her friends and family to use GiveinKind.com to help support both restaurants and local first hospitals. “We sent meals for Highland Park Hospital last night from our favorite restaurant, Tamales,” she said. “[Give in Kind] makes it very east to support the restaurants we love and the first responders.” You can also help by donating protective equipment to a hospital near you. Unfortunately, those fighting this virus have to face shortages in masks and other key equipment. You can help by donating protective masks and gloves to hospitals in your area. Visit NorthShore.org to learn more on donating. Providing food for families with school-aged children Our nation’s most vulnerable need us right now. Unfortunately, the closure of school means kids are losing meals they depend on. With the help of Judy’s Pizza donating meals to local school children, and initiatives through local volunteer programs, we can help put an end to child hunger in our community. Through the Hunger Free Northbrook Student Program, volunteers distribute food bags to Northbrook families with school-age children in need of more meals. In this time especially, the need is great. Visit the Hunger Free Northbrook Student Food Pack Program for more details. How you can help You can help by becoming a volunteer through local initiatives that provide meals for school children, such as the Hunger Free Northbrook program. Visit the link above to sign up to be a volunteer. Additionally, support all restaurants who provide meals for local schools and support their community. North Shore Loyalty is proud to be a sponsor of Hunger Free Northbrook. To see what all the restaurants mentioned in this update are doing, visit their website and order online. Own a Small Business? Click Here to view a wide offering of blogs to navigate the digital world . __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Let’s fight COVID-19 together Everyone plays a part in fighting this virus, big or small. What’s important to keep in mind is that the more we fight together, the stronger our community becomes in the war against Coronavirus. As a member of our community, you can help by supporting local restaurants, donating to their causes and volunteering. Below are their websites and Facebook pages with special promotions. Let’s all come together and give our support. Backyard Grill (Highland Park, IL), Facebook Butterfield's (Northbrook, IL), Facebook Dear Franks (Deerfield, IL; Niles, IL), Facebook Eggspresso (Bannockburn, IL), Facebook Greek Feast (Northbrook, IL), Facebook Grill House (Northbrook, IL), Facebook Judy’s Pizza (Highland Park, IL), Facebook Marcello’s (Northbrook, IL), Facebook Stacked & Folded (Winnetka IL, Evanston, IL) Facebook Tamales (Highland Park, IL), Facebook