There are many benefits associated with listing your small business in an online directory. The more online business directories you can use to list your business the more benefits you will reap. Here are some of the benefits of using online business directories:
- Exposure
Exposure is crucial for all business marketing strategies. The more people who see your business, the more likely they are to use your services. If online visitors can’t find your website or don’t even know it exists, they probably won’t buy your products or services. Listing your business website in online directories helps increase visibility. Thousands of people search these directories every day for things they want. These individuals are actively looking for websites related to your offerings. They are already searching; you just need to make it easy for them to discover you. Online business directories will boost your exposure, potentially increasing traffic to your website.
- Increased Traffic
Online business directories can boost the traffic to your website in several ways. First, the more people see your website, the more visitors you’re likely to get. However, these directories provide more than just visibility to potential customers. They also give exposure to major search engine crawlers like Google and YouTube. This improves the chances of your website showing up on important search engine results pages, or SERPs, making it easier for more people to find you during regular searches. Increased visibility through search engine optimization and reaching more people searching for your site can lead to higher traffic for your small business website.
- Cheap Advertising
As a small business owner you already understand the importance of advertising. You know that it helps customers to find your business and recognize your name and brand. You probably have little room in your budget for more advertising right this moment. That is one of the major benefits of listing your business’ website in an online directory. online business directories are inexpensive to join and they offer a lot of exposure for the price. Some online business directories will allow you to list your business for free, while others will charge a minimal fee. Either way, you are getting a lot of exposure for far less money than you would spend on a TV or radio advertisement spot.
- Professional Appearance
You want everything about your business to look professional in the eyes of your customers. A professional appearance enhances your status and makes customers more likely to patronize your business. online business directories help you to look like a professional business. When an online consumer sees your business listing in an online directory, they will consider your business to be an authority on the subject and a professional place to do business. Unlike a search that is performed on a major search engine like Google, where there is little difference between the legitimate websites relating to a topic and the less than useful websites, online business directories are mostly legitimate websites. Online consumers are more likely to trust what they see on online business directories.
- SEO Benefits
online business directories offer several search engine optimization benefits as well. Firstly, these online business directories offer you more inbound links. When an online visitor sees your website link in an online directory, they will be able to click on it and be instantly re-directed to your website. This is a great way to increase traffic. It is a great way to improve your status in the eyes of search engine crawlers too. The more backlinks that a search engine crawler can find, the more relevant they will rank your website. This is especially true of authoritative online business directories. Being linked to a major online directory, such as Google My Business, will give your website more relevancy in the eyes of Google’s search engine crawlers. This will result in a higher page ranking on the SERP. As you know, a higher search engine result page rank you get, the more people are going to click on your website link.
- Increased Revenue
When more people are able to find your website it increases the chances that they will visit your website. When people visit your website they are more likely to purchase your goods or services. This means that online business directories can help you increase your revenue stream. online business directories are good for your bottom line.
- Increased Brand Recognition and Customer Interaction
When an online viewer locates your website though an online directory, they are more likely to remember your business’s name and directly interact with it. online business directories can help your business stand out to customers as well. Overall, listing your small business in an online directory will help you to create a more comprehensive and effective online presence.
Listing your small business’ website with several online business directories will help more people find your website, whether they are specifically searching for it or if they are just browsing. In addition to gaining exposure, online business directories will provide major SEO benefits, which will help search engines find your site. Increased exposure and higher search engine rankings will result in more traffic to your website, which will result in higher revenue.
There are many different types of online business directories, from large global directories to small, niche and location-specific ones. Some examples of other types of online business directories can include reciprocal link directories, free directories, paid directories, Business 2 Business directories, theme-related directories, small business directories and many, many more.
Why You Should Consider Listing Your Small Business in an Online Directory
Apart from the concept that online business directories will increase the amount of exposure your website gets and help with your SEO strategies, they are also a very effective way to directly target potential customers. online business directories make it easy for online users to find something they want. According to a study performed by Burke, 8 out of 10 people will use a print or online directory to find companies or products they are looking for. The same study also suggested that 8 out of 10 people who use these directories to locate a business do so with the intent to purchase a product or service from them. This is a very effective form of targeted advertising. The customer already needs or wants your product or service and you can directly target them by listing your website in an online directory.
Another reason why you should consider listing your small business has to do with your return on investment, or ROI. Since the potential benefits of getting increased website traffic are great compared to how much you will have to spend to list your website in an online directory, you can see a great return on your investment in the form of increased revenue. You also want to keep your brand and your company name in the minds of consumers at all times, which is something else that an online directory can help with.