Many businesses spend a lot of money on AdWords to try to gain an edge over their competitors and fail to do the one thing that is of even greater value – owning their own business name on Google.
Sometimes it’s a good idea to step back and realise that the ways businesses used to market themselves have only small connections to how marketing actually works now.
Years ago analogue marketing worked well because the world was primarily analogue. People read print newspapers; they consulted directories; they relied solely on word of mouth about a business or product. Flyers through the letterbox gained traction because they fit in with the rest of the analogue world. That is no longer the case.
Today 90 percent of people look online before they pick up the phone and they are looking for presence and reputation.
Why is owning my business name online essential?
Before the primacy of the digital experience, word of mouth, signage on a vehicle, a directory listing, and the occasional advertisement in a newspaper were enough to generate consumer action, now it is a motivator to go online.
84% people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation (BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2016)
Imagine for a moment that you are a consumer, not a business owner. You’re on the road, you see a van with signage– Bright Sparks Electrical – maybe you remember the phone number, maybe you don’t. But if you remember the business name and you want to find out more, what’s your next move? It is very likely that you will search that business name online and what you see or don’t see will motivate you to contact the business, or not.
Signage is a motivator to go online to find out more
A business owner who wants to ensure a customer will pick up the phone after being motivated to search their business name, will want to own that name online.
Ensuring you own your business name online is essential and isn’t expensive
The image of a search of a business with great ownership of their name shows just how simple and effective it can be. They own the entire page except for the Google Ad at the top. But anyone searching would see a business that is prominent, active, and importantly – has its online reputation visible twice. Firstly through their five star reviews and profile on NoCowboys and secondly through the aggregation of those reviews art a glance in their Google My Business profile in the sidebar.
The results of this search and the information provided will set a customer on the path to contact – and that’s what every business wants from online presence.
Ensuring you own your business name online isn’t expensive and it is essential. If you don’t, then a customer searching will most likely contact a competitor that they see instead and you have lost a sale and a repeat customer.
Setting up a Google my Business profile is free – Create a Google My Business profile. It is fantastic marketing, and in conjunction with an authenticated review platform, like NoCowboys, it is the best way to make sure you take ownership of two of your most valuable assets – your reputation and your business name.
