How Getting Listed In Google Local Can Turn Your Business AroundThe advertising landscape is changing, and businesses that want to succeed must change with it. One of the most common mistakes that small, local stores make is thinking that the internet does not matter to their business. These kinds of business owners think that an 
online presence is only important for large stores, or chains, or stores that offer products that can be ordered online. However, for many years now, the internet has been the primary way that customers of all kinds decide where to spend their money. If you have a small business without an online presence, read on to find out some easy, free steps you can take to revolutionize your business.When many business owners think of making an online presence, they imagine a big headache. They think that they will need to build a website from scratch, pay someone to update it, and deal with constant tech problems. While this is something many businesses invest in as they grow larger, it is not the first or most important step in creating a way to draw in customers through the internet.For a small, local shop, like a coffee shop or pet store, building a website is usually not necessary. However, that does not mean that the potential of the internet can be ignored. These days, customers who do not know where to go always go straight to their phone. If a potential customer is standing right across the street from a billboard advertising your store, chances are good they will pull out their phone without noticing it, search for a business to visit, and walk three blocks away to get there.The way customers find these businesses is through local listings on search engines. The most prominent is Google Local, which this article will discuss. However, there are also Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines that are just as easy to be listed on.Getting listed in Google Local is maybe the most important thing a small brick and mortar store can do in terms of advertising today. There is no better way to bring in traffic for free, without worrying about spending a lot of effort on building your own website or doing any coding.So, what is Google Local? Google Local is Google’s registrar of businesses that is tied in with their Google Maps GPS navigation software. When a customer is out and looking for a pet store, the first thing they are likely to do is pull up Google Maps on their phone and search for “pet stores near me.” They will be presented with a map filled in with dots for all of the nearby pet stores, as well as user ratings and information like operating hours and directions.If you run a pet store and are not on that list, your business is operating at a crippling disadvantage. It is increasingly becoming nearly impossible to attract business without being searchable online. Luckily, getting listed in Google Local is easy.To put up your listing, simply make a Google account. Then, search for the page “Get Your Free Business Listing on Google.” This will bring you to an easy to use form you can use to get started on getting listed in Google Local. The page will ask you to locate your business, and you may be surprised to find that it will usually already know quite a bit about where you operate and what you do. Google will initiate a simple process to verify that you own the business, but in the mean time, you can start editing your page.Once you are in, you can upload photos and basic info to the page. Make sure to get your hours of operation in, as well as important info like a menu, a list of services you offer, or holidays you take off. This will help customers know when they can visit your store, and what they can find there. Photos are great to make the business more attractive.Once you are listed in Google Local, you will be surprised what a big difference it makes for your business. People will start walking in much more often once they are able to find you online! Google Local is simple, easy to use, and will get you a lot more foot traffic, all for free!Get your local business found online
online presence is only important for large stores, or chains, or stores that offer products that can be ordered online. However, for many years now, the internet has been the primary way that customers of all kinds decide where to spend their money. If you have a small business without an online presence, read on to find out some easy, free steps you can take to revolutionize your business.When many business owners think of making an online presence, they imagine a big headache. They think that they will need to build a website from scratch, pay someone to update it, and deal with constant tech problems. While this is something many businesses invest in as they grow larger, it is not the first or most important step in creating a way to draw in customers through the internet.For a small, local shop, like a coffee shop or pet store, building a website is usually not necessary. However, that does not mean that the potential of the internet can be ignored. These days, customers who do not know where to go always go straight to their phone. If a potential customer is standing right across the street from a billboard advertising your store, chances are good they will pull out their phone without noticing it, search for a business to visit, and walk three blocks away to get there.The way customers find these businesses is through local listings on search engines. The most prominent is Google Local, which this article will discuss. However, there are also Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines that are just as easy to be listed on.Getting listed in Google Local is maybe the most important thing a small brick and mortar store can do in terms of advertising today. There is no better way to bring in traffic for free, without worrying about spending a lot of effort on building your own website or doing any coding.So, what is Google Local? Google Local is Google’s registrar of businesses that is tied in with their Google Maps GPS navigation software. When a customer is out and looking for a pet store, the first thing they are likely to do is pull up Google Maps on their phone and search for “pet stores near me.” They will be presented with a map filled in with dots for all of the nearby pet stores, as well as user ratings and information like operating hours and directions.If you run a pet store and are not on that list, your business is operating at a crippling disadvantage. It is increasingly becoming nearly impossible to attract business without being searchable online. Luckily, getting listed in Google Local is easy.To put up your listing, simply make a Google account. Then, search for the page “Get Your Free Business Listing on Google.” This will bring you to an easy to use form you can use to get started on getting listed in Google Local. The page will ask you to locate your business, and you may be surprised to find that it will usually already know quite a bit about where you operate and what you do. Google will initiate a simple process to verify that you own the business, but in the mean time, you can start editing your page.Once you are in, you can upload photos and basic info to the page. Make sure to get your hours of operation in, as well as important info like a menu, a list of services you offer, or holidays you take off. This will help customers know when they can visit your store, and what they can find there. Photos are great to make the business more attractive.Once you are listed in Google Local, you will be surprised what a big difference it makes for your business. People will start walking in much more often once they are able to find you online! Google Local is simple, easy to use, and will get you a lot more foot traffic, all for free!Get your local business found online