Word of Mouth Is No Longer Enough to Grow Your Local Business 

Once upon a time, ultra-fancy websites were all the rage. Those sites were full of rotating headlines and flashing graphics, but not a lot of substance. Fortunately, those days are over. Now, consumers want information. Sure, a website needs to be visually pleasing to grab (and keep) the visitor's attention, but the foundation of a successful website is great content.

Think of your website as a supercharged business card. It needs to boast your accomplishments, make it easy for customers to contact you, and provide useful information.

Chances are, your local business already has a website. But merely having a little corner of world wide web isn’t enough. Instead of relying on former customers or friends and family to spread the word about your business, let your website do the talking for you. Pack it full of helpful information, great examples of your work, and branding that will make a connection with customers.

Local business owners usually have the gift of gab. They’re used to meeting people, making connections, and introducing themselves and their business wherever they go. Genuine human interaction will never go out of style and will always be important for local business owners. Nowadays though, there’s another kind of interaction you need to think about: creating digital relationships.

No, we’re not talking about online dating here. Creating digital relationships is all about giving your business character and using that character to make a human connection with customers online.

Though it might seem difficult to make a real connection with your customers online, it’s surprisingly simple. A little common sense is all you need. If you’re the owner of the business, get your face out there on your website alongside your team. And add interesting bios for you and each of your team members. “Meet Our Team” pages are one of the most frequently visited pages on business websites, so don’t underestimate its importance. Remember , it’s all about making connections with people.

Connections don’t end with your web pages, though. Never underestimate the power of a real human response to questions that come through your website or comments on your social media pages. Canned responses are time-savers, but consumers are smart – they know when they’re not dealing with a real person. Take the extra time to put your customers in touch with real-life members of your team.

Despite its faults, the internet is still a place where you can get information on just about anything. The problem, of course, is we never know if the information we found is accurate. But there’s an opportunity for you there. Leverage the power of the internet to share trustworthy information about your business and your craft.

A blog on your website is always a great idea. Focus on publishing posts that your customers will want to read. Teach them something they don’t know; tell them a funny story from one of your past jobs; answer their questions. Sharing your knowledge builds trust and soon, the “digital word” will spread and you’ll find that more and more people are visiting your blog because you’ve built a reputation of being knowledgeable and genuine.

If blogging’s not your thing, get active on other websites within your industry. Trust me, there are discussion sites on every topic under the sun and there’s a good chance you’ll find a few in your industry. Use these platforms to establish yourself as an expert. Answer other user’s questions and spread the word about your business.

Good old word of mouth marketing isn’t going anywhere. As long as we can talk, we’ll be sharing our experiences with each other. But in the digital world, it’s simply not enough anymore. M ore often than not , instead of calling our friends we now turn to Google when we ’re looking for information, want product reviews , or need services in our area.

As a local business owner, you can no longer rely solely on word of mouth referrals to get new customers. Establish your online presence so you can spread the word about your business.