Many of you have enough web savvy to know you need to have a presence on the Internet if you want to compete or be found.
To increase your web presence for your business, organization or group for a location, particularly in a town, city or region, here are 3 Free & Easy ways to do this.
It involves Google, Yahoo and Microsoft's Bing and their local listings. Local listings usually show when you do a search using a certain keyword combination that includes a business or organization as well as a city and state. Example: "storefront window cleaner Loveland, CO" on Google search will result in Window King showing up right at the top. The keyword phrase "whirlpool appliance repair Loveland, CO" will result in Jim & Dave's Appliance showing at the top.
- Google
Google, being the top dog in search engines, has a pretty good local listing service for your biz. Think about it, how often do you hear the terms "I will google it" or "I will find it on Google?" I don't think I've ever heard "Let me Yahoo it" or "I will bing it." Anyway, on to the goal of this part of my blog.- Go to http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter?gl=us&hl=en-US
- You will require a Google Account which can be any email address. Make sure you use one either related to your business or one that you won't change often. I used a gmail account I've had for years. Had I known where I was going with all this I would have used my business email address for this but alas, its too hard to change it all.
- Here is what will be required of you:
Business Information including address, phone number(s), fax number, web site and contact email address.
Store Hours (optional). - Allow multiple picture uploads including a Logo.
- Custom Coupons available.
- Basic Statistics are also available.
- Verification by phone or snail-mail. Snail mail is slow.
- Review is quick.
- Yahoo
Yahoo's local listing has been around for awhile. The only way to get the extras like Google and Bing offer is to pay $9.95 per month. However, they do have the basics.- Go to http://listings.local.yahoo.com/
- Requires a Yahoo Account and, unlike Google or Bing, requires you to setup a Yahoo (yahoo.com, ymail.com or rocketmail.com) if you don't already have one.
- Business Information
- Store Hours (if they apply) - Do not allow picture or logo uploads
- No coupons.
- No Verification.
- Takes a very long time for review of the web site.
- Bing
Microsoft - formerly known as Live Search and MSN Search. They're new search engine looks cool. Nice graphics on their search page. Since most people connected to the Internet have high speed and faster computers, it doesn't hurt, that's for sure.- Go to https://ssl.bing.com/listings/ListingCenter.aspx
- If you don't already have a Windows "Live" account, they will let you create one. Like Google, you can use an existing email address. I used my business address for this.
- Business Information
- Store Hours (if they apply) - Allow multiple picture uploads including a Logo.
- Coupons.
- Verification by phone or snail-mail. Letter received in less than a week.
- Takes a long time for review approval.
As you can see, Google will net you the most information as well as the quickest review of a site. As long as you can verify the business/organization via phone, the process is quick. Otherwise, it takes a few weeks. Microsoft's Bing.com does a great job of verification via letter. Phone verification doesn't always work. Yahoo is the least effective listing. But, it is better then nothing.
