Welcome To the Future of Local Business
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Succeeding in 2024 is not Rocket Science: but it is a Science. Following just some of these strategies will bring Success. (Increase your Leads, Clients & Profits by at least 100%)
Do you want to know how to grow you Practice in 2024? With fresh new leads & clients, doubling your profits is quite possible. Learn how to instantly double your website leads & employ the secret of 5-minute SEO. Discover why farming is better than hunting and the five marketing hacks to obtain local clients. Also, charge more than the competition and keep your clients satisfied; plus, the three big mistakes nearly all Law Firms make with their website. Finally, join the SMC ( FREE) and learn the best ways to use the latest AI!
These new cutting-edge fast yet simple Strategies and Tools are listed below in no particular order. Any or all of them can make the difference you are looking for – get on track Today!
Welcome to Transform 2024, which will show you the best ways to get more clients, sales, and profits in the coming year. Most businesses view the coming year with trepidation. This is mainly because they do not have sufficient certainty in their business. Certainty in the number of clients they can attract, and certainty in their conversion systems and profits. Transform 2024 will show you, in simple steps, how to get that certainty and transform your Legal Business this year and beyond. If you would like to learn how to increase your profits, keep reading…
Did you know that there are just three ways to grow any Business?
Therefore, we recommend starting with your existing clients, before trying anything else. It is important to keep in touch with them. Don't forget about them since they are most likely to use or reuse your services. Always try to communicate with them and use different media. Such as email follow-up sequences, text or telephone, and always try to stay front of mind. Remember to give value and nurture the relationship - don't just sell. Similarly, do not forget to tap into the goldmine that is your unconverted leads. Every business has them. They have shown interest but did not buy the first time around. Why not try again!
How many times do you need to contact clients? Successful businesses will likely have a process enabling multiple touchpoints with their customers. It has been estimated that getting a sale can take up to 30 different contacts or touch points. This may seem unbelievable, but most businesses do not have the proper follow-up systems and give up after just one or two contacts with their potential customers. Therefore, install follow up sequences and drip content to them. Use all forms of media to stay in touch and treat your customers like family. Look after them and always give them value. Leverage the power of your relationships and always ask them for Referrals. Word of mouth recommendations are compelling, so don't miss this free opportunity. If necessary, consider rewarding them. Remember that this will train them to be representatives for your company again and again!
The business myth is that people will always buy at the lowest price. This is not true. If it were, the likes of Apple, John Lewis and Mercedes would not exist. Never base your prices on competitors; never get involved in a race to the bottom. Remember, 80% of businesses in the UK struggle or fail! You need to ensure that you are charging enough. Try to combine getting more clients with higher prices. Set yourself apart from the competition. Test a 10% increase and see how they respond. If all goes well, try pushing the price further and monitor the results. This is called price elasticity. You should charge a fair, but right price for your service . Change your mindset if necessary, and do not be ashamed of your price. Never apologise for your prices. Stand by them and be proud of what you are offering. If you practice talking about prices and money with confidence, you will earn more!
Google Ads are our number one paid recommendation for promoting a local business. Google has revolutionised local marketing and has trained us to search Google for almost everything. Google Ads allow you to dominate your local search market within a clearly defined radius. However, remember that any Ads and keywords must be relevant to the search. And they must lead to a highly congruent landing page or website. You can set up local campaigns targeting specific demographics. Remember to test the optimum radius and keep pushing it until enquiries drop off. Note that Google does not charge to show Ads; you only pay when someone responds! It is possible to run Google pay-per-click campaigns on low budgets starting at £10 per day. So, what are you waiting for?
The most essential action you can take for local online marketing is listing and optimising your Google Business Profile. Your Google Business Listing accounts for over 34% of Google's local ranking algorithm. This determines your rankings on Google search and maps. Remember to Claim your free Google listing and carefully optimise it. Create an attractive snapshot of your local business with a good description. Do not forget to include photos and videos of the business and your staff. The next thing to do is to produce highly relevant articles about your business. Arrange to post them on your Google listing every week. You can also add more images and videos. This will have a dramatic effect on your rankings. For even better results, take these posts and put them on your website and social media. Many of your customers practically live on Facebook and Instagram. They will also be impressed with your presence on these channels.
You may be surprised to learn this, but Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter are all powerful platforms for local businesses. Did you know that there is software that can extract emails so you can build a list of potential clients and use direct mail or Ads to promote your products and services? You can also drill down and reach your target market by interest and many other demographics. Precious few local businesses understand the real potential of these platforms. Software such as Phantom Buster has opened up a new era in Lead Generation and allows local businesses to expand beyond their traditional markets. If you are not exploring what these platforms can do for your business, you are certainly leaving money on the table.
Welcome to the Retargeting Module. I suspect that some viewers may not know what this is. It is a fact that most people who visit websites leave them without doing anything. Retargeting lets us stay in touch with those people. This is an excellent strategy for local businesses and the big boys and is possible with Google, YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms. Combine this with offline marketing strategies for maximum effect. This way, you can dominate your local marketplace, and your competitors will not know what hit them!
Last year saw enormous growth in the use of Video. Increasingly, people only use the internet on their mobile devices. Over 75% of your customers will only view your website on a mobile. Today's websites have to be built for mobile, fast and easy to use, and have Video! If you want to make your own, try Pictory's free trial. Local business owners underuse YouTube. Since Google owns it, it is a powerful, cost effective medium. You can geo-target YouTube Ads and own your marketplace. Please note that you do not pay for your video Ad if people skip it. Our pro tip is to produce regular videos, set up a YouTube channel, and advertise on YouTube. You do not have to stop there since you can syndicate your videos on other channels, your website and social media.
Back in the day, this was one of the leading marketing strategies for a local business. The digital took over but guess what? It's back! If you are old enough to remember your letter box being packed with circulars, letters and mailers, you may have noticed that there are not so many these days. This has given you a golden opportunity since your mailer will get more attention. What is more, the smaller your local area, the better. We recommend that you integrate such offline tactics with your online ones for better coverage of your target market. You can send letters, invitations, vouchers, postcards, and flyers. Always test and repeat whatever works for you.
Modern smart phones bear little resemblance to the old telephones we used to know. The last few years have witnessed enormous growth in the use of smartphones. Communication is better than ever with features such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Facetime. We all now have a powerful computer, camera, and communications device. Since most of us now use the phone to surf the web, it makes sense to get people to call you. The inbound phone call should now play a vital part in any marketing strategy. Website Forms are challenging to complete on mobile. Far better to use click to call or a communications widget. Phones are personal and a great way to follow up. Always try to get clients' phone numbers. Then you can check in with your customers and build those essential relationships that are so important in business.
Another great tool is Facebook Messenger. If your target market is on Facebook, they are probably used to using Messenger. You can set up automated chatbot style responses and follow up on leads and customers. Perhaps even more flexible than Messenger is text. We have already mentioned the rise and rise of the mobile phone. These days most people love to text and are used to using it. It is a highly effective communication mode and a valuable tool in the local business arsenal. The aim is to be everywhere to dominate your local market. Try not to rely on one form of communication alone. Think multimedia and use email, text, messenger, the telephone and chat. I can guarantee that your competition will have no idea what hit them! Finally, use Press Releases to announce a new product or service launch or events. They also significantly boost your SEO and brand prominence.
The following invaluable tool for local businesses is email. Emails are free and most businesses do not use them enough. There is a tendency to think that you are pestering or scamming people if you send too many emails. However, experts agree that two or three per week work well if you provide value to nurture the relationship. Alternate between selling and helpful information. Make them personal and tell stories to get your business's character and local nature across. Emails are an essential part of following up on leads and customers. We recommend that you use an autoresponder. You should find a link below for a free trial. This will allow you to enter the whole series of emails to be sent automatically. You can also arrange to send one-off broadcasts to announce special offers etc. Marketers often say that the money is in the list. Remember to produce an email list of all your customers and leads and use email to contact them.
Your website is your shop window and is vital for your business. Unfortunately, many Websites today are obsolete. The increasing use of Smart Phones means that over 75% of your customers view Websites on Mobile devices. Your site may be " mobile friendly", but probably not built for mobile. Therefore, most sites are slow, hard to navigate, & feature clunky online forms and sliders. Consequently, they don't bring in leads &sales 24 7. Today's Mobile sites must be fast loading, & easy to navigate. They need engaging, relevant content with a good intro video & a solid call to action. Latest Pro Tip, check out Connect Leads. This intelligent software gives customers multiple ways to communicate from your website to you and can double website Leads! It even allows you to run your business from a mobile!
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A good Landing Page can be a great alternative to a website. Especially if it is built for Mobile, highly optimised, with concise, relevant content. And extremely congruent with your Keywords. Such sites can rank highly on Google, often higher than a website. Landing pages should play a part in any good digital marketing strategy. They engage visitors and can convey a memorable impression of your brand. Furthermore, they can be the best way to find, connect and convert people into loyal customers. Landing pages with intelligent calls to action can also take visitors through your sales funnel and are a great way to achieve your marketing goals. If you are interested in exploring the use of landing pages, click the link below.
Reviews and Testimonials are critical nowadays. Most people look for recent 5-star reviews before making a purchase or taking action, on or offline. You must therefore have a system in place to collect and feature reviews on your website. Always ask your customers for reviews. Better still, ask them for video reviews that contain your principal keywords. For example, ask permission to interview them with your phone after you have completed the job satisfactorily. These are worth their weight in gold! When you have the reviews, show them on your site, Google business and social media. There is a fantastic piece of software called Live Stream Review Badges. These automatically display reviews from Google and other online Directories and those added manually. A Free 30-day trial is available below.
We analyse lots of Local Business digital profiles. Usually, the only online directory they have claimed is Google Business. However, it is rarely done correctly and lacks relevant content, images and videos. Apart from this, they are also missing out on an extra massive source of business. To expand your digital profile, it is sensible to spread the word about your business whenever and wherever possible. Check your online profile below, click the link and enter your business details on the form provided. I am constantly amazed at how few businesses have set up online directories correctly. As a minimum, you should submit listings to the Top 10 Directories. For example, Yell, Yelp, Bing, Yahoo etc. It is essential to copy the exact details you gave to Google when doing this. Any variations in the Name, Address or Telephone will cause issues and be flagged as incorrect.
Please do not forget the more traditional ways of getting new business. Many of them are free and will only cost you your time. Successfully running a local business is all about relationships and getting a good reputation in the community. Anything you can do with local networking or events to promote your business is worth considering. It is also worth looking at Joint Ventures. These can be very successful and expand your business if you find win-win situations. Look at the businesses in your town and consider if you can offer them a quid pro quo. Even fundamental things such as putting cards in Newsagents windows can be practical for the start-up business.
Please keep in mind that all these strategies will work for local businesses and can lead to significant increases in profitability. Even if you use just a few, you will be well ahead of your competitors. A good solution is to combine digital marketing with traditional offline strategies. Always test new campaigns with a low budget to see what works best. If you want to take your local business marketing to the next level, we invite you to try a free trial with Bright Local. A brilliant UK-based Company that features the only platform you will need to improve your business, your keyword rankings and overall digital business performance. Their tools help you rank higher, grow your reputation, and build Directory listings at an unbeatable price. We give full details below.
Mobile apps offer marketing benefits to local businesses, unavailable with conventional websites. Your business is literally in the customer's pocket 24/7. When a customer downloads your App, your business is always visible and has a private connection with them. Further benefits include increased opportunities for repeat business and superior communication with your customers, such as simultaneous push notifications to all of them. Increased customer loyalty, engagement and brand awareness let you stand out from the competition. Mobile apps are fast becoming standard for all businesses. The choice you make today will set the foundation for the future success of your business. It's on you to decide whether you'd like to be one of the first.
Content marketing is based on creating content that will resonate with your target audience. This is permission based and you are giving your ideal clients what they are interested in. The content you share should be closely related to what you are selling and designed to educate. This helps them to know, like, and trust you enough to do business with you. Share information, engage, and build your brand with your potential customers with written articles, videos, and social media posts. Keep content highly relevant and exciting. Achieve this by researching your audience, buying habits, and interests. Create content that draws people to your platform and not try to sell anything. Instead, focus on the niche, studies, or actionable advice related to your business. Remember to tell your customers what to do next, prompt them to act, and become more involved with your network!
ChatGPT is a revolutionary free AI chatbot that delivers detailed human like replies to written questions. Its revolutionary technology is trained to learn what humans mean when they ask a question. It’s so good that it may be the most important tool since the search engines. Some speculate that it has the potential to make whole professions and even Google itself redundant. However, there are some limitations since it can make factual mistakes. Nevertheless, expert directions generate better answers. ChatGBT can write code, songs, poems, essays, articles, novels and even stories in a specific author’s style. It’s useful for writing on virtually any topic. Google is currently not penalising AI generated content. However, this may change, and we recommend that you either alter the content or use a tool, such as Wordai. Either way, you can save tons of time!
Chatbots mimic human conversation and make it simple for people to interact with your website. They help businesses automate tasks such as customer support, marketing, and sales. There are many different Chatbots to choose from. We have picked WP Chatbot for all WordPress site users, and HubSpot Chatbot builder for other sites. WP Chatbot engages with visitors using their Facebook Messenger on their Facebook Business page. And the conversation history stays in a user's inbox. HubSpot is an excellent option for businesses that want to automate tasks, such as booking meetings and qualifying leads. These chatbot builders are easy to use and do not require any coding knowledge. A good chatbot can bring your site to life, and automatically commence the customer nurturing process.
Link building is the process of getting other people’s websites to link to your website. Business owners should be interested in building links to drive referral traffic to their site. They will also increase their own site’s authority.
Google’s algorithms are extremely complex and constantly evolving. However, backlinks remain an important factors in how search engines determines which sites will rank, and for which keywords. Building links is an important tactic for search engine optimization (SEO). These links are a signal to Google that your site is a relevant and quality resource worthy of citation. Sites with more backlinks will enjoy higher rankings.
Nb. It is now possible to use intelligent software tools to not only find your main competitors for any given keyword – but also to reverse engineer their backlinks – so as to discover what they are doing to achieve their rankings.
Alan Kerr is a digital marketing pioneer who inspires business owners to create marketing that their customers love and delivers outstanding results.
Originally a Barrister in his native England, Alan has extensive business and marketing experience in the UK, EU and Scandinavia. For Alan, helping ambitious business owners to achieve a better life-work balance, achieving more by working less, has become his passion.
"Take action and apply Transform to your business; you will discover that small, simple changes can aggregate to create massive results..."
Success, time and freedom inevitably follow the implementation of positive and innovative Marketing 3.0 techniques, time management & money mindset, guaranteed keyword ranking, systems automation, and premium pricing.
Since it is not possible for us to work one on one with everyone. I would encourage you to join our friendly Facebook group. We will always try to help and are mindful of the results of a recent UK poll that declared:
"Nearly half of small business owners feel they have "nobody to confide in" about their problems and the stress they are under, a survey has revealed. As a result, 44 per cent of the 500 SME owners polled feel they're unable to do the best possible job for both them and their staff" - Daily Mail October 2022 Result Based SEO Services
Here are the Links to some of my favourite Software and Tools for Local Business. Some are Free, some paid, and some have free trials. All are tried and tested:
Create You Own Videos – Best Software ( Free Trial) / How to set up a YouTube Channel
Email Marketing – Best Autoresponder Software (Free Trial)
Reviews & Reputation - Live Stream Customer Review Badges (Free Trial)
Bright Local – The only Platform you need to improve your Local SEO ( Free Trial)
Most Affordable App Builder for Local Business
Google Business Tool – Brilliant Chrome Extension
This AI Tool will write any Content you need - Fast!
Voiceover Software – best text to speech yet?
Done for you SEO - Friendly, Professional & Fast Service
Please note some of these recommendations are affiliate links. This means that if you subscribe, I may receive a small fee. This helps us to create further content in future.
Please check out the Resources Section at the end of this eBook. You will find most of these offer FREE Trials and can be amazing time savers...
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