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Are you struggling to market your business online? Perhaps you’re not as visible as you’d like to be on digital platforms. So how do you get the recognition you need for your business? The solution is online business directories.
An online business directory is a key component of your marketing strategy. It’s a powerful tool if you want to increase your reach and start gaining momentum with sales. You can’t rely on search engine optimisation alone to gain traffic to your website.
So if you want to find out how to increase your online visibility in an affordable way that’s not technical then keep reading. In today’s article, we’ll explain what online business directories are and how they can benefit your business.
What is an Online Business Directory?
An online directory is a digital index of businesses that are categorised by industry or type. The directory lists businesses on one complete dashboard where customers can see key information about any of the companies they’re searching for.
The purpose of a business listing is to show online visitors the following:
- Contact information
- Location of the business
- Company website
- Contact details of important people within the company
- What type of business is provided
Additionally, site visitors can see the company name, opening hours and images of what the company looks like. Some listing sites will allow visitors to review a business or click on links to their social media pages.
How Does a Business Directory Work?
Business owners that want to list their company on a directory will select a suitable platform that has high traffic. These online platforms receive information from the company owner and then it’s listed on a site with an inbound search engine. Digital filters are integrated into the system so clients or customers can find businesses in various categories easily.
To list your business on an online directory, simply register with the company you’ve chosen. You must provide the developers of the platform with all the relevant information about your business that you want to showcase on the listing. Ensure you have a suitable category for your business so your listing can be found easily.
Furthermore, you should include keywords in the content of your listing that perfectly describe the type of products or services you sell.
The Importance of Business Directory Sites
Now that you know what business directories are, why is it so important to use them? Well, consistent directory listings can increase your profit which is suitable for startup companies. Did you know that eight out of 10 customers use business directories to research a company?
Therefore, if your business is not located in a directory you could lose sales. If clients are struggling to find your information online it could be detrimental to the growth of your business. Listing your business in a directory is the perfect way to market your company affordably.
What are the Benefits of Business Listing Sites?
Increase Your SEO
Do you want to improve your page ranking on Google’s SERPs? Listing your business in a directory is the ideal way to do it. You can increase your online visibility simply by using the correct keywords under your company’s listing. Google favours businesses that are on directories and therefore they’re more likely to rank higher on search engines.
You Can Build a Professional Brand Profile
You can optimise your brand’s profile using online business listing sites. A digital business directory includes more than the company name. You can include photos, videos and customer feedback under your listing to provide visitors with more information about your brand.
Optimised for Mobile Use
Most online business directory sites are designed for mobile devices. The advantage of this is that more people use their SmartPhones to look for products and services. This means your business will be visible to even more users. If the online business directory website is fast, visitors will stay longer to find out more about your company.
Proper Use of Inbound Links
Inbound links lead visitors to important business sites such as your website and social media pages. You can include inbound links in your listing to drive more traffic to your site.
Final Thoughts
If you want to up your marketing game use local business directories to promote your company and increase your online visibility. Local business listings will focus on companies in specific areas so you can improve your geo-targeting.
So what are you waiting for? Register your company on an online directory like ours so you can start getting the recognition you’ve always wanted.