In a bustling city like Liverpool, where small local businesses compete to survive, thrive, and grow, it becomes crucial to establish a strong local presence. The high level of competition in such areas calls for strategic measures to ensure your business is seen, heard and trusted.
Countless small businesses work around the clock to adopt and embrace various techniques and tools that can carve their niche and make a lasting impact in the local market.
The role of a social media presence
We live in a digital age where a strong social media presence is essential for local businesses. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn allow you to engage with your target audience directly. This is a channel where local businesses can share their brand’s story, and showcase their products and services. By regularly posting engaging content on social media, such as photos, videos, and informative articles, you can grab the attention of your local audience and encourage deeper connections.
Social media also provides an opportunity to build trust and credibility by engaging with your customers. Local businesses that actively respond to customer inquiries and comments promptly show that they value their feedback and are committed to customer satisfaction. Additionally, a social media presence encourages satisfied customers to share their positive experience throughout testimonials and reviews. These testimonials act as social proof, further establishing trust and reliability in the eyes of potential customers.
The importance of being productive on-the-go
For businesses that operate on the go or in the field, such as contractors, maximising productivity and efficiency is crucial. This is where field service management software solutions come into play. These solutions help streamline operations by allowing you to efficiently manage essential customer and business data.
Think of it as having a virtual assistant who can schedule appointments, track inventory, generate invoices, all while you, as a contractor, drive to your customers. For a plumber, for example, this solution makes all the difference between finishing the job the same day and being forced to order the missing part and arrange a new appointment with the customer. This can not only cost time and money, but it can also lead to dissatisfaction, even if the issue can be resolved during the last appointment. With such a tool, contractors on the go can easily maintain seamless communication between their situation and the office or warehouse, and keep their customers satisfied.
By utilising a software solution that can ensure jobs are completed efficiently and effectively, field contractors can not only help boost their local reputation but also present themselves as a trustworthy, organised, and reliable expert locally. Besides, it can be tricky to keep track of important customer information, preference, and even service history on the go. But such tools can bring the answer you need and enable you to deliver the personalised experience your customers need, with real-time data update for informed decisions at all times that benefit the customers and constantly showcase your professionalism.
Establish your business on Google Maps
With the majority of searches happening on mobile phones, it makes sense to focus on a strong localised presence. This will contribute to receiving direct calls from customers in your area. Setting up and managing your business presence on Google Maps via Google My Business is vital for local visibility. The process is fast and fairly straightforward with Google Maps. However, you will need to verify your business address, which can be done via a phone call or with a postcard. Choosing the postcard option can take a few weeks to be fully processed.
Once your business presence is established and validated on Google Maps, local visibility best practices recommend publishing accurate information about the business, including contact details, operating hours, and directions when relevant. Customers will use Google Maps to leave reviews about your business. Customer reviews on your Google My Business profile play a significant role in establishing trust and credibility. Positive reviews enhance your reputation and increase the likelihood of potential customers choosing your business over competitors. So, it pays off to encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews by providing exceptional service and politely requesting feedback. Ideally, you want to respond to negative reviews in a timely and professional manner, showing that you value customer feedback and are committed to addressing concerns.
Your Google Maps presence will also fire up for local searches. This means your business will appear higher in the search results based if you and your customers are in the same location.
Work with a local SEO agency to boost visibility
Google Maps can help being more visible in local searches. But if you want to bring your Liverpool business to the top of local and semi-local searches, you want to partner with a local SEO company that can yield significant results. Indeed, professional SEO managers have the expertise to optimise your website and online presence, making it more search engine friendly. They can help target location-specific keywords within Liverpool and its surroundings, through localised content generation, optimised meta tags, and consistent online business listings across various platforms.
A well-executed local SEO strategy will not only improve your rankings in local search results, but it can also drive higher returns on investments. Indeed, the purpose of SEO is both to support organic traffic but also organic conversions, in other words sales.
Don’t forget on-the-go local marketing tactics
Contractors who are constantly on the road understand the importance of car wraps to promote their businesses and drive local brand awareness. But, truly, car wraps can be effective for all sorts of business types, essentially turning your vehicle into a mobile billboard. Eye-catching designs with a logo, contact information, and a clear message that people can easily read while driving past can create both interest and brand recognition. Ultimately, if you have a vehicle, it is also worth considering turning it into a moving advertising campaign that reaches a wide audience as you navigate through Liverpool.
Another surprising tactic, even though it may sound old-fashioned, is using business cards. They are highly valuable when meeting potential customers or partners through networking events and local gatherings.
In a competitive landscape like Liverpool, ensuring your business is seen, heard, and trusted requires a multifaceted approach.
