There are a lot of opportunities for local businesses that have a web presence. Improving your local web presence is the best way to have new customers getting into your front door. Recent research has found that more than 80% of local businesses that have an online presence reached out to new customers during the previous festive season. These new customers increased the sales in these companies hence profitability also increased. In addition to this, 43% of the search queries recorded by search engines are for local businesses; meaning 1 in every 3 queries is about a local enterprise of which more than 75% end up buying a product. In Tennessee, local businesses have started realizing the benefits of having a web presence. Many SEO companies are insisting on creating a good website which is also mobile optimized (many local websites aren’t) to get you more customers buying your products. Here are some ways to grow your local web presence;

1. Publish accurate web content

If you want to publish accurate, user-friendly web content, you have to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Try to think of how you would search for a business. Most probably you will start with the name of the business or the address or the city you are in. If you don’t know the name, you might try to search for the product name or services offered. This leads you to generate a few keywords. A keyword is a word or words that is typed into the search engine’s search box to find something on the internet. SEO companies know a lot about keywords, and it is a great idea to hire one. There are many Nashville SEO companies that give you a detailed plan of how they are going to get the correct keywords for your products.

2. Optimize your website for mobile devices

In this day and age, there are millions of smartphones in use. All these smartphones are connected to the Internet, and it would be the very first device that most of your potential customers will use to search your business on the web. As such it is important to build a mobile optimized website. This ensures that your site can be viewed easily on a tablet or smartphone. The same website that fits perfectly on your desktop should also fit on a mobile device. It is a fact that most local businesses do not have mobile-optimized websites. Most local SEO services, including those provided by Nashville SEO companies, are incorporating optimizing websites for mobile devices in their efforts to boost a website’s ratings. Also, more than 70% of the people who will view the website via a smartphone will follow up and view the desktop website.

3. Have a map and accurate contact details

Setting up the correct and up-to-date contact information together with the operating hours of your brick and mortar business is very important in growing your local web presence. In the Tennessee area, more than half of the local businesses do not have their telephone numbers on their website. Others have the phone numbers but they aren’t functional and end up frustrating potential customers. This fact according to Sparks SEO, a local Search Engine Optimization Firm, has caused companies to strive to set up accurate contact information as their first strategy to improve a website’s standing among other websites. Having a map that accurately shows your location is also good for your business. It will guide new customers direct to your door step. There are websites on the internet which can help you set a map on your website. Try them out and see the results for yourself.

4. Encourage ratings of your business

You can encourage customers to do a review of the services you have offered them and post it on the Internet. However, you should be very cautious about this as some people may post negative reviews about your establishment. Offer your customers high-quality services or products if you want to go this route. Have a comment section where your customers can express their gratitude. Having a comment saying, “Kudos for the great service” will convince more people to visit your store. Franklin SEO companies actually sign up your website to popular review sites and create an awesome profile for you. Having comments on your website and also a good profile on review sites is a great way of growing your web presence.

Many top search engine optimization companies will do all these for you. They will also add buttons and widgets on your site for easier navigation to social network sites and review sites. It is up to you to choose whether to hire one or take the task head on.