What is an Online Directory, and how will the Online Directories help my Business?
--
Blog Author — Natalie Galland : “I am a traveler, blogger, and enthusiast in photography. Read my blogs on Medium, BlogLovin, and HubPages”
Have you ask yourself the questions- what is an Online Directory, and how will the Online Directories can help my business?
Suppose you’ve ever used Yahoo, Bing, Google or another search engine to find a local business.
In that case, you have probably noticed that their name is often accompanied by their address, phone number, and other similar information.
If you do the exact search on a mobile device, businesses are usually ranked by their proximity to you.
Most online directory sites work this way, but not all businesses take advantage of it, resulting in a massive loss of potential customers.
Google found * that 50% of people conducted a local search from their smartphone. 34% of people who searched from a computer or tablet visited a store during the day.
Full stop.
The Most popular Online Directories for Business Citation
Aside from Google My Business (GMB), countless other sites allow online directory listing, including HotFrog, Foursquare, Yellow Pages, Bing Places, Yahoo !, Yelp, Facebook and many more.
And since most of these listings are free, your business should use and benefit from at least one listing.
However, if you’re still wondering about the benefits of listing your business in an online directory, consider the following ones:
1.Increase the visibility of your brand
By listing your brand or a local business in an online directory, you show people that you exist, especially if they are already looking for your products or services on the Internet.
For example, if you sell computer parts, anyone looking for that type of product in your area should be able to find your business — and its location.
And even if that person doesn’t buy your products immediately, they can do so at a later date.
But if your business isn’t listed in one or more online directories, people may never find it.
2.Build trust
Listing your small or big business in an online business directory will help you build a relationship of trust with your customers.
After all, local directories don’t just display the business name, address, and phone number, but other identifiers, like photos and videos, as well.
Therefore, if you have an ad that has been successful on other platforms, this is the place to share it.
Many online directories also allow users to post comments, and this is the perfect opportunity for customers who have done business with you to write something positive about you.
3.Find more local buyers
According to Google, four in five customers want ads to be personalized to their region. 60% of customers use location information in advertisements to find businesses, saying it’s crucial to find address, phone number and directions, in addition to a button “Call now” if the information is displayed on their smartphone screen.
Finding local customers online will lead to even more success for your business, even if your print ads perform well.
4.Promote high-quality website traffic
In addition to the phone number and the address, online directories allow businesses to include their website address.
Even if you don’t sell any product or service on your site, displaying your site’s address in your listing will build brand awareness and help increase your in- store sales.
Additionally, online directory listings usually show up in the search results of people who are actively trying to find your type of product or service, so it will be relatively easy to turn those people into customers.
Just make sure your website passes this performance benchmark test.
5.Increase consumer engagement
Listing in local online directories can help you engage your customers through reviews and comments.
While exposing yourself to customer reviews may seem intimidating, it will help you build your brand image and increase sales as 60% of customers trust user reviews.
Local Business directories and the Online Reviews
In case you are worried about negative feedback, then you can always take the following actions:
Read Reviews: Read all reviews and comments, even those that seem very harsh, as they will help you come up with ideas to improve yourself.
Fix the problem: If you see recurring complaints about a particular issue, like poor customer service, you need to deal with it immediately to prevent the spread of a bad reputation.
Respond politely:
When responding, don’t insult customers. Instead, apologize and promise to fix the problem.
Feedback and negative reviews can help you resolve issues that you might not have otherwise known about.
So accept them willingly, but make sure you start getting more positive reviews later.
Register your business with local directories
While there are countless online business directories to choose from, Yelp and Google My Business are among the best known ones.
If you wonder what are the benefits for your business to be present on these directories, then the answer is simple — there are many benefits.To start with — a million users search these popular sites every month.
So, if you want your potential customers to find you more easily, register your business with as many online directories as possible.
It’s usually free.
Online Directories and the Online Business reviews
In case you are worried about negative feedback, then you can always take the following actions:
Read Reviews: Read all reviews and comments, even those that seem very harsh, as they will help you come up with ideas to improve yourself.
Fix the problem: If you see recurring complaints about a particular issue, like poor customer service, you need to deal with it immediately to prevent the spread of a bad reputation.
Respond politely:
When responding, don’t insult customers. Instead, apologize and promise to fix the problem.
Feedback and negative reviews can help you resolve issues that you might not have otherwise known about. So accept them willingly, but make sure you start getting more positive reviews later.
Register your business with local directories
While there are countless local directories to choose from, Yelp and Google My Business are among the best known — a million users search these sites every month.
So, if you want your potential customers to find you more easily, register your business with as many online directories as possible.
It’s usually free.
The Most Popular Online Directories in the World
Aside from Google My Business (GMB), countless other sites allow online directory listing, including Bing, Foursquare, Yellow Pages, Yahoo !, Yelp, Facebook, 411.ca, and many more.
And since most of these listings are free, your business should use and benefit from at least one listing.
However, if you’re still wondering about the benefits of listing your business in an online directory, consider the following ones:
1)The presence of your business on one or more of the online directories will Increase the visibility of your brand
By listing your brand or a local business in an online directory, you show people that you exist, especially if they are already looking for your products or services on the Internet.
For example, if you sell computer parts, anyone looking for that type of product in your area should be able to find your business — and its location.
And even if that person doesn’t buy your products immediately, they can do so at a later date.
But if your business isn’t listed in one or more online directories, people may never find it.
2. The presence of your business on one or more of the online directories will help you to Build trust
Listing your small or big business in an online business directory will help you build a relationship of trust with your customers.
After all, local directories don’t just display the business name, address, and phone number, but other identifiers, like photos and videos, as well.
Therefore, if you have an ad that has been successful on other platforms, this is the place to share it.
Many online directories also allow users to post comments, and this is the perfect opportunity for customers who have done business with you to write something positive about you.
3. The presence of your business on one or more of the online directories will help you to Find more local buyers
According to Google, four in five customers want ads to be personalized to their region. 60% of customers use location information in advertisements to find businesses, saying it’s crucial to find address, phone number and directions, in addition to a button “Call now” if the information is displayed on their smartphone screen.
Finding local customers online will lead to even more success for your business, even if your print ads perform well.
4. The presence of your business on one or more of the online directories will help you to Promote high-quality website traffic
In addition to the phone number and the address, online directories allow businesses to include their website address.
Even if you don’t sell any product or service on your site, displaying your site’s address in your listing will build brand awareness and help increase your in- store sales.
Additionally, online directory listings usually show up in the search results of people who are actively trying to find your type of product or service, so it will be relatively easy to turn those people into customers.
Just make sure your website passes this performance benchmark test.
5.The presence of your business on one or more of the online directories will help you to Increase consumer engagement
Listing in local online directories can help you engage your customers through reviews and comments.
While exposing yourself to customer reviews may seem intimidating, it will help you build your brand image and increase sales as 60% of customers trust user reviews.
Originally published at https://hubpages.com.
