By Lindsay Wade, Account Services Intern
As a kid, when you played superheroes with your friends, everyone would pick a superpower. There was superhuman flight, super speed, telekinesis; and then there was that kid that always picked invisibility. Invisibility? Seriously? Sure, you can sneak around and confuse enemies, but after a while people will probably just forget about you.
Being invisible may have seemed like a cool power then, but now it’s just bad for business. The more people that see you, the more business you get. At Madison+Main one way we make our clients visible is by listing them in online directories.
When users search for products online, they can connect with your business through various listings. Directories include general information such as name, address, phone number and website.
Here’s a list of five directories where your business should be mentioned. (NOTE: This isn’t an all-inclusive list of directories. There are other things you can do to improve your visibility and connect with potential clients. Need help? Talk to us!)
- Google Places for Business –On this popular search engine you create a profile and then let people search, share and rate your business for maximum visibility.
- Bing Business Portal – Bing includes the classic features, but you can also add promotions that show up next to your listing. Bing reaches different clients from those using Google.
- Yelp – Yelp takes social networking and integrates it with a local business review hub. Customers can leave reviews and you can utilize the social network atmosphere by talking back with a unique chat option.
- Yellowpages.com – This isn’t your mother’s phone book, but users can still search the site by phone number. Clients can look for businesses in their area with special promotions.
- MerchantCircle – Profiles are pretty basic, but this directory also includes an “Answer” section where MerchantCircle users can ask questions about products, and businesses can answer. Increase your visibility by answering more questions.
There are plenty of cool superpowers out there. Don’t pick the one that hurts your business. Get listed and get visible!