Promoting your business: the benefits of keeping it local
| Published: 11th July 2008 23:13 |
More and more people are using the internet to find products and services, and once they've found what they were looking for, many prefer to buy locally from businesses they can get to know and trust.
Why? There's no substitute for a personal service and in this day of modern technology when everyone feels like just another website statistic or bank card number, where their only communication when buying anything is an impersonal, automated ‘payment accepted' message, many people are trying to rediscover that old feeling of personal appreciation. Isn't it nice when someone shakes your hand and looks into your eyes with an honest look of appreciation for your business?
Building customer loyalty is highly important and many online retailers use things like newsletters and e-bulletins to make regular contact with their customers. But these methods are no substitute for face to face contact; offering discounts to customers who call in regularly, or giving them that little bit extra free really makes a difference and sends your customers off with a sense of delight, making them highly likely to mention you to their friends, family and colleagues.
Of course, an online presence is highly important these days when 15 pence in every pound is accounted for by internet sales, but what if you could combine both? Showcase your products and services online and promote them via a trusted, local online portal that offers information on what's going on in your local area - news, charity events, community initiatives - then invite local people to visit your business so you can get to know them personally and build a long-lasting relationship that will bring you regular sales and recommendations. Many of these local information websites are involved in working with charities and some allow you to submit free business listings, as well as offering a range of economical advertising opportunities.
Promoting your business to local people gives you that personal edge that has sadly faded in the last few years, but that people are now trying to rekindle. Make customers feel like people, not just a bank card number - deal with them face to face!
© Vanessa Holmes 2008. All Rights Reserved.
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