These are the questions I hear from local clients: I have a local catering business so how will a web presence help me? We’re a dental practice and what does pumping up our web presence have to do with getting more patients?

Local businesses aren’t always aware of how well a website can market a business. Some are realizing it and others are already there and reaping the rewards of a well-targeted website. So I’m going to put up a brief list regarding how local businesses can get in on the google action. With the right meta tags, called geo tags, local businesses can get found by locals. Then there is the obvious Google listing where you find your listing and enter your website, photos and other detail.

So here are just a few of the things a website can do for you:

• Sell product
• Or Pre-sell your target market on products or services before they come to your store/place of business
• Help patients/customers narrow down locations that are within a particular driving distance from their house
• Allows for a place for you to post customer testimonials
• Allows you to showcase other services and promote higher profit products that your target was unaware you offered
• Validates a recommendation. For instance, someone recommends you, they can check you out and your website can close the sale or bring them a step closer to the point of sale
• Helps you land good job candidates particularly in competitive fields where finding good employees is difficult
• Allows you a place to publish new news which get found by search engines, reporters as well as clients and customers
• Cuts down on phone calls regarding forms, directions, hours of operation, phone numbers and other information
• Allows you to target keywords of your higher profit items
• Due to keyword searches done by locals, you end up with business and referrals because you showed up high in the organic searches
• Gives you credibility
• Allows you a place to build a emailing list and keep in touch with your customers, clients and patients
• Allows you to present portfolios, before and after pictures, finished projects
• Allows you to present a consistent brand image across many media channels solidifying your market awareness
• Allows you to snag competitive keywords that you’d never get nationally but you can get locally
• Markets your business while you sleep, 24/7

How you make a website that can attract the search engines and convert visitors into buyers is not something accomplished in a day.

However, it’s worth the effort or the money to do it right. It’s important to do it before your competition does and blocks you out of the action. Because in the time you spend sitting around twiddling your thumbs, somebody can snare your market share right out from under your nose.