Social Networking: How creating local Business networks can help local businesses.
Article by David Hoschouer
These days it’s pretty easy and cost effective to build and publish a website. What isn’t so easy and cost effective is getting your website listed high on the “search engine totem pole” where it can be found.Indeed everyone wants to be on page one of search engine results (SERPs). After all, the higher a websites rank the more potential it has to make money or be seen. However, just because we want to be on page one of Google’s SERPs, does not necessarily mean we will be one of the results. Let’s think about Search Engine Results objectively: no matter whom we are or what we do, we are typically challenging thousands or millions of other web pages in our niche, for the keywords that we hope will make get us traffic.
Those who wish to rank in the “organic free” search results need to employ Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques in order to improve their rankings. There are literally hundreds of SEO companies specializing in helping their clients climb in the free search result listings; however, SEO is a very time-consuming process that requires specialists who have the actual knowledge and skills in “manipulating” the search engine results. In a nutshell, “without investing massive amounts of time, fresh content, and money, your website is still on page 8 or lower.”
After having experienced the “endless never ending battle” for top placement in search engines I began to look into the prospect on having our business listed in a few of the online Business Directories. Some of these directories were free, some not. Of course paid listings appeared above free ones in searches. In general, however; throughout my experience I found the same reoccurring theme, “again it was all about money, and lots of it.” The cheapest directory I found was .99 a month all the way up to 9.00. One company promised me top placement in it’s directory for 00.00 a year! At first I was reluctant to hand over my hard earned cash to be listed in a National Business Directory where I could be found until I remembered all the time and money I had already invested in having my website appear on the first page of search engines. Then the prospect seemed very reasonable… However, then it hit me. “Why pay to have my business listed in a National Business Directory when all I wanted was local customers?” Here are some related and interesting facts to consider from U.S. Department of Commerce.
More than 85 of people rarely go any further than the first 10 to 15 results on top of pages.
Businesses that used the Internet for Advertisement grew 46% faster than those that didn’t.
So let’s “Cut to the Chase.” How can the social networking of web sites like the one’s I have created in response to the forgoing help a business locally?
First of all by creating a Local Social Network I have already spent the necessary time and money to build up a network of all the known businesses in my area. I’ve created a one stop, easy to use network which provides what a local resident needs when looking for a product or service in my local area. People looking for a particular product or company can quickly find it in my local directory without having to go through page after page of search engine results.
Consider this. It’s a simple fact, “Local Customers use Local Businesses.” Creating a local directory targets residents and businesses in the local area, not the entire world. Having a business listed in my local directory promotes a business locally where it “really” counts. Why should a business have to pay thousands of dollars every year to list in a “national search engine directory” when they can get listed “locally” for free, or choose to get and provide better exposure by enhancing their directory listing at a fraction of the cost. What a national business directory charges a month you get for a year in my directory.
When you consider all the costs, there is no better and cost effective way to advertise your business than on this local platform. Need a good platform? Go to http://www.verdevalleybusinessdirectory.com or http://www.verdevalleyonline.org
In closing, “it is the shape of a social network that determines a network’s usefulness to its users.” We have created a very useful platform for both the businesses and the people in our local area. It’s a chance to advertise your business, help people find you on the web, and provide an easy to use door of service to our users.
Business Directoy, Local Networks
About the Author
David Hoschouer is the founder on Verde Valley Online. He writes accasionally when he finds something good to write about!
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