June 4, 2009
There are a lot of local business listings out there—ThinkLocal®, Yahoo!® Local, and YellowPages.com™ are just a few. Thanks to these online business directories, it’s easy for your clients to find information on your business, which is great. But sometimes the information that is gathered by local directories is incorrect or outdated, which in no way benefits your business. Fixing this situation is easy, however, by simply taking control of your listings.
Take the time to look up your business on some of the top local search engines (click here for the top 5). By taking ownership of your listings, you can take control of what searchers find. In addition to changing or updating existing information, you can also add a link to your website, a description of services offered, your business hours, an email address at where you can be reached, and much more. We suggest taking ownership of your listings at the top 5 directories first, then expanding to the rest when you find time.
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Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Uncategorized | Tagged: business directories, business directory, business listing, business listings, online business directories, online business directory, online business listings | 
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Posted by thinklocal
April 10, 2009
One of the most thrilling milestones a business owner can meet is reaching the point where expansion is an absolute necessity. After all, a growing business is a successful business-and what screams “success” louder than an increase in customers? For many small businesses, expanding means hiring more employees to fulfill their customers’ demands. And for some, expanding means moving to a larger office or opening up a second location.
According to the Small Business Success Index, an ongoing study conducted by Network Solutions, LLC, and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, “Businesses with multiple locations are more slightly likely to be competitive.” This finding supports some of the general rules of the small business world. It makes sense that a business with multiple locations is competitive; for one, businesses need to be competitive to succeed, and growth is one way to measure a business’s success. Businesses that know how to compete are going to have an easier time at finding success.
One of the best ways to get the word out about additional business locations is through advertising. Be sure that all advertisements list the information for each location if possible, and include each location in online business listing directories. At ThinkLocal®, it’s easy to set up and manage online listings for each of your business’s locations. Just head over to http://wwww.ThinkLocal.com and provide information for all of your business’s locations.
*The Small Business Success Index, an ongoing measurement of the overall health of U.S. small businesses, was commissioned by Network Solutions, LLC and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. To take the survey yourself, click here.
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General, Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business, Uncategorized | Tagged: advertising, advertising online, business, business listings, online business directory, Small Business, thinklocal | 
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Posted by thinklocal
February 10, 2009
It is more important than ever for you to be frugal. That’s why now is the time to start realizing the value of using local search.
Local search Web sites offer free business listings, and they enable your business to be visible at just the right moment – when the consumer is making his or her purchase decision. You should always make sure you are listed in several local search Web sites, particularly because each member of your target audience will have his or her preferred source. By having a listing in more than one directory, you will increase your chances of being found.
Good local search engines include: ThinkLocal®, Yelp, Merchant Circle and Insider Pages™.
Leave a Comment » | General, Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business | Tagged: business, business listings, free business listings, insider pages, Local Search, local search engine, merchant circle, thinklocal, yelp | Permalink
Posted by thinklocal
February 4, 2009
We live in a world that values convenience. Over at ThinkLocal®, we understand this. Once you enter your zip code or city and state, our home page will show you all of the information you need to see what’s going on in your area. Check out your local weather forecast, and use the interactive map to find your way around town. If you’re looking for something to do, ThinkLocal® can provide you with a list of local events in your area. And with our restaurant ratings and reviews, choosing a place to dine has never been easier.
If you’re interested in being on top of the goings-on in your area, make ThinkLocal® your home page. All the information you need is just one click away.
Leave a Comment » | Local Search | Tagged: business listings, Local Search, online business directory, thinklocal | Permalink
Posted by thinklocal
December 11, 2008
Local search directories offer many benefits to a business owner: they’re effective at extending a business’s Web presence, they provide potential customers with the important contact and location information they need, and they can drive traffic to a business’s Web site. While these features can ensure that your business will be found, that is only half the battle; converting your listing’s audience into actual business is another thing.
Many online business directories, including ThinkLocal®, provide a platform where customers can leave their ratings and reviews for each business that is listed. The great thing about customer reviews, in addition to extending a business’s online presence, is their power of persuasion. Customer ratings and reviews make your business stand out from the crowd, and people are more likely to choose a business with a positive review over a business that lacks a customer review. If the search for “sushi restaurants” in your local area brings up multiple results, the restaurant with a 5-star rating and descriptive review is going to grab your attention; it may even convince you to choose that one over the others.
Customer reviews not only help to bring new customers to a business, they also provide business owners with valuable feedback on their business’s performance. Positive reviews point out features that a business owner might want to highlight in their next advertising campaign, and negative reviews let the business owner know which areas need improvement.
If you manage an online business listing, get the most out of it: encourage your patrons to review your business, and then use that feedback to your advantage.
Leave a Comment » | Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business, Social Media | Tagged: advertising, business directories, business listings, customer feedback, Local Search, online business listings, thinklocal, web presence | Permalink
Posted by thinklocal
December 8, 2008
The recent labeling of the U.S. economy as “in a recession” has brought a new wave of panic over most Americans, especially business owners; unfortunately, many of us have legitimate reasons to worry. Each new day seems to bring word of another business closing its doors, or news that yet another company has been forced to let go of employees in an effort to cut costs. Although it is easy to get discouraged during times like these, we all have to try to focus on the actions we can take to improve our situations instead of dwelling on the worst-case scenario.
All business owners know that to stay afloat during an economic downturn, they must focus on reducing their costs. Many choose to reduce the budget allotted for advertising and marketing efforts, but this can be very detrimental to building and expanding their customer base. And when you don’t have customers, you don’t have revenue. So what’s a small business owner to do?
In addition to online business listings Web sites like ThinkLocal®, there are more free resources that business owners can turn to reach out to their customers and build a strong Web presence for their company. One of these resources is blogging. Blogs are an easy and effective way to build Web presence and keep your customers aware of what’s going on with your business. Instead of spending money on advertisements that show off your new product or inform your customers of your business’s new services, just blog about it. Blog posts allow you to go into as much detail as you’d like, you can load them with keywords that will help them show up in search engine results, and best of all, there are many blogs that are 100% free. Web sites like WordPress®, BloggerTM, and LiveJournalTM are just some of your free-blog options.
Once you’ve got your blog set up, check out some of the micro-blogging Web sites that are available. Sites like TwitterTM and Plurk allow you to give quick updates on what’s going on with your business, and they’re a great way to spread links to your blog posts. Twitter and Plurk also allow you to associate a personality with your business’s web presence; this alone can give you an advantage over your competition since consumers tend to choose companies that they know or feel comfortable with.
Be sure to also check out free social networks, including Facebook®, MySpaceTM, MySolutionSpotTM, and LinkedIn®. Social networking is a great way to connect with other business owners, current customers, and potential customers. Through social networks, you can get feedback on what your customers are looking for, build relationships with them, compare business strategies with other small business owners, and so much more.
1 Comment | Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business, Social Media | Tagged: Add new tag, advertising, advertising online, business listings, micro blogging, online business listings, small businesses, social networks, web presence | Permalink
Posted by thinklocal
December 4, 2008
This year, Black Friday sales were steady, and Cyber Monday numbers exceeded expectations. How did retailers manage to achieve such satisfactory results during the current economic slump? They offered several cost-saving specials and heavily advertised those specials.
If you are a storeowner, now is the time for drastic measures. Analysts believe retail sales – both online and offline – will drop drastically by the end of the holiday season. Therefore, storeowners must step up their game and continue to offer savings great enough to motivate reluctant consumers.
Online storeowners, as well as offline retailers who own Web sites, should set aside a portion of their budget to advertise online. Pay-per-click advertising is a wonderful promotional strategy because it allows advertisers to target locally. Pay-per-click ads appear only when a user is searching for the products and/or services offered by the advertiser. Additionally, pay-per-click advertising can be seasonal. So, if a storeowner wishes to advertise online only during the holiday season, he or she has the option to do so.
Some businesses may not have the budget available to create an online advertising campaign. Every storeowner, however, can afford to take ownership of their online business listings. Online business listings are similar to yellow page listings, but they are more targeted and they provide more value to the consumer. An online business listing appears only when a user is searching for a specific business category in a specific town. The listing not only provides the interested consumer with a business’s address and phone number; it also provides them with a map of the business location, driving directions to the business and business reviews written by past customers. The most amazing thing about online business listings is that they are free. Sites like ThinkLocal® and Yahoo!® Local are great online business directories that will provide any business with the additional exposure they need during this crucial period in retail.
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General, Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business | Tagged: advertising, black friday, business listings, cyber monday, online advertising, online business listings, pay-per-click, Pay-per-click advertising, retailers, thinklocal, yellow page listings | 
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Posted by thinklocal
August 22, 2008
Consumers aren’t the only ones becoming more conservative with their spending as of late. Companies are also attempting to cut their expenses. As always, marketing costs are among the first expenses to be trimmed. For this reason, it is more important than ever to acknowledge low-cost marketing alternatives like online business listings.
Standard online business listings are free, and they reach a well-segmented audience – those who are seeking a specific offering. Each online business directory is different. Some only display a business’ address and telephone number, while others, like ThinkLocal®, display a business’ contact information, as well as directions to the business location, a map and business reviews. The more informative a listing is, the more likely it will sway an undecided customer.
Business of all sizes should consider creating online business listings to supplement their paid advertising efforts. If you choose to advertise your business on an online directory that receives a lot of traffic, then most likely, you will gain new customers. With no costs involve, you have nothing lose.
1 Comment | Internet Yellow Pages, Small Business | Tagged: business listings, marketing, online business directories, online business listing, online directory | Permalink
Posted by thinklocal
