Local Turf War for Online Eyeballs
Traditionally web sites were for people who were trying to expand their reach as a business and transcend local boundaries. They were not very useful for local services such as mechanics, hair salons or people in the trades.
Local business owner beware! The next big battleground for consumer eyeballs will be with the “local search”. That’s right, smaller service based businesses who usually don’t embrace web sites. City based businesses recognize Squamish’s growing commuter pool has a choice of getting their needs met here or in the city.
A year ago Yellow pages.ca partnered with Google. They feed Google with local search data and together they can jerry-rig the online version of your yellow pages and Google to make your business pop to the top. (Type in “auto mechanic Squamish” on either web site and you’ll have to do some serious scrolling to get to a local shop.)
Squamish based Jeff Russell is a Business Solutions consultant for the Yellowpages. He helps you with your book listing and is a leading seller of online ads on Google and on the Yellow pages web site. He takes the guess work out of internet marketing.
“When you are advertising, there are three doors to your business. The actual door, the telephone and the internet. I tell my customers that they should open all three. With us, you can pre-pay a set amount and drive traffic to your site or we can create a presence for you. Our cost to do pay per click on Google is significantly cheaper than if you did it yourself.”
There is another option for more established businesses with a web site. Enter Gord Addison with Venture Web. Gord cut his teeth on internet marketing years ago while managing the local hostel. Now as a freelance maven of internet marketing, he helps local companies like Blurr, Echoflex Solutions and Canadian Outback Adventures expand their reach on the local and international front. Try typing in “Hotel Squamish” into Google or MSN and you’ll see Sea to Sky hotel at number one.
“The thing with web marketing is that it is accountable. Unlike print advertising, if something isn’t pulling, you can change it.”
He also warns that many companies make the fatal mistake of being close minded to how people find their business.
“How you might describe your product might not be the same as how your customers find you. Internet marketing is largely about market research. “ 
Addison offers Search Engine Optimization, email marketing, Pay per click campaigns and web site “use-ability audits”.
At the end of the day, getting located on the internet is becoming more and more complicated. Depending on your needs, you will want to consider the Yellowpages or a freelance type like Gord Addison to increase sales at your shop. Chances are this stuff is beyond the reach of your web savvy nephew and you’ll need a helping hand to succeed.
Local business owner beware! The next big battleground for consumer eyeballs will be with the “local search”. That’s right, smaller service based businesses who usually don’t embrace web sites. City based businesses recognize Squamish’s growing commuter pool has a choice of getting their needs met here or in the city.
A year ago Yellow pages.ca partnered with Google. They feed Google with local search data and together they can jerry-rig the online version of your yellow pages and Google to make your business pop to the top. (Type in “auto mechanic Squamish” on either web site and you’ll have to do some serious scrolling to get to a local shop.)
Squamish based Jeff Russell is a Business Solutions consultant for the Yellowpages. He helps you with your book listing and is a leading seller of online ads on Google and on the Yellow pages web site. He takes the guess work out of internet marketing.
“When you are advertising, there are three doors to your business. The actual door, the telephone and the internet. I tell my customers that they should open all three. With us, you can pre-pay a set amount and drive traffic to your site or we can create a presence for you. Our cost to do pay per click on Google is significantly cheaper than if you did it yourself.”
There is another option for more established businesses with a web site. Enter Gord Addison with Venture Web. Gord cut his teeth on internet marketing years ago while managing the local hostel. Now as a freelance maven of internet marketing, he helps local companies like Blurr, Echoflex Solutions and Canadian Outback Adventures expand their reach on the local and international front. Try typing in “Hotel Squamish” into Google or MSN and you’ll see Sea to Sky hotel at number one.
“The thing with web marketing is that it is accountable. Unlike print advertising, if something isn’t pulling, you can change it.”
He also warns that many companies make the fatal mistake of being close minded to how people find their business.
“How you might describe your product might not be the same as how your customers find you. Internet marketing is largely about market research. “
Addison offers Search Engine Optimization, email marketing, Pay per click campaigns and web site “use-ability audits”.At the end of the day, getting located on the internet is becoming more and more complicated. Depending on your needs, you will want to consider the Yellowpages or a freelance type like Gord Addison to increase sales at your shop. Chances are this stuff is beyond the reach of your web savvy nephew and you’ll need a helping hand to succeed.
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