How visible is your business online?

According to Google 97% of customers search for local businesses online, so it has never been more important for your business to have an online presence. Social media also plays a big part in everyone’s day to day lives. Here are a few tips from our marketing team, which could help you promote your business online.

Create an account on Google My Business

Google My Business is a free service that lets you manage how your business appears on Google. Here you can add your business name, location, opening hours and photos. Customers can also leave you reviews, which you can respond to.

You don’t need to have a website to register for Google My Business, you just need to create an account, which will then be verified by Google and a postcard will be sent to your business address with an activation code. Once your account is activated you are free to update your business details. It’s a good idea to log on at regular intervals to make sure your information is up to date. You can also post articles about your business or any special offers you may have.

Create a website

To give more information about your business you can create your own website. A basic website can be relatively inexpensive, or you could learn how to create one yourself. If possible make sure your site is mobile friendly. It is important to make sure it is kept updated with current prices and news, there is nothing worse than an out of date website.

Get Social

With more and more customers turning to social media for recommendations, if you haven’t already done so, why not take the plunge and join Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?

Again, it is important to keep your pages up to date with regular posts. These could include special offers or promotions, but also information about your business and staff activities.

Try to encourage your customers to post photos or comments and invite them to like your page or follow you.

Respond to customer reviews

It is proven that customers will consult other reviews before choosing a service.

How many of us check Tripadvisor or read the reviews of others before making a purchase?

If your business is registered with a review/feedback service or Google My Business, are you responding to your customers’ comments?

A simple thank you for a good review shows that you appreciate the time it has taken to leave the feedback. You can see some examples of this on our own Feefo feedback page. Our aim is to reply to every customer. This can also help should you receive a less positive comment. By replying, you have the opportunity to have your say and turn a negative into a positive. If things have gone wrong, hold your hands up, no one is perfect, mistakes happen. You could invite the customer to come back or tell them how you have rectified the problem or made improvements. There is nothing worse than an unanswered bad review.

We hope you find our tips helpful, if you haven’t already done so we strongly recommend you register with Google My Business today.

You can find Ryan's on Twitter @Ryanig and Facebook @ryansbeachhutinsurance so we look forward to seeing you there!

We’d love to hear your success stories so don’t forget to share them with us.

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