Last week, a friend of mine posted the following status update to Facebook:
“How does a company/organization get onto a “Google map”? We’re missing in downtown Lexington…”
Of course, I quickly pointed her to the stellar LSV services on our website, but it also got me thinking.
Do my friends and acquaintances even know what LSV is? Do businesses know how important it is to show up in an online directory in order to draw new customers from their area?
Younger consumers, as well as the technologically inclined somewhat non-younger ones, more often turn to online directories and internet searches to find services and businesses in their areas. Gone are the days of the phonebook…the one made out of paper at least.
Today’s “phonebook” is on their smartphone or computer in the form of Yelp, Google, Bing, Citysearch, and so on.
If your business isn’t on these online listings, chances are, you’re getting passed over.
Example: As I’ve mentioned before, my husband and I just moved back to the area after living abroad for a couple years. A few weeks ago, we were searching our new area for a place to buy stadium seat cushions for an upcoming float trip. Yet, when we searched for sporting goods stores in our area, the only place that popped up was 24 miles away.
Guess where we ending up going. Yup. It turns out that traveling 24 miles is less stressful than driving around aimlessly hoping to find a specialty store. After we bought our chairs, we’ve found three sporting goods stores in our town that could’ve gotten our business — had they shown up in our Google and Yelp searches.
Is your business, company, or service getting passed up simply because no one can see you online?
I may know someone who can help you out.
