What Local Consumers Want From Local Business Websites

The 21st century’s world of business is one that is highly competitive with companies and small businesses trying to outdo each other through the use of technology. As such most of these understand that, online marketing is the lifeline of their business and they invest heavily in the creation of a website and usage of other online marketing strategies to increase the traffic and leads. Unfortunately, most of them get too carried away in creating websites which attract global markets. They end up forgetting that courtesy starts at home and that if it does not attract customers locally then, it will hardly get you global attention. That is why we have put together a list of what local consumers want from local business websites so it can be a wakeup call for them.

 Essential information

No matter how good looking you website interface is, many local consumers are likely to turn away from it if it lacks critical information. For instance, when a local customer visits your site, then the most likely reason for doing so is because they want to see the kind of goods and services which you deal with first. If you fail to indicate them, then they are likely to turn away from your business without even bothering to contact you. After all, they are not miracle workers to know the kind of business you engage in. Other key pieces of information on what local consumers want from local business websites include the price list, opening and closing hours, and your physical address. In your address, you should ensure that you include the directions and map. If you don’t most of the clientele, tend to think that you are not local which is why they will not consider reaching out even if you have provided your contact info. Also, make sure you provide your contacts by leaving an email address or phone number so they can be able to communicate with you if they want your services online or even to book an appointment. If your website experiences high traffic but no leads then most likely you are not providing the key information.

Inclusion of both positive and negative reviews

Another requirement of local consumers from your local site is reviews. Today most potential clients want to get an honest opinion of your business from customers who have had a trade experience with you before. That plays a significant role in determining whether they will buy from you or not. If they lack reviews, then they end up making assumptions that you are not genuine. Consequently, no matter how excellent a company is in customer service and offering high-quality goods, there is always that customer who will never be satisfied with the kind of products or services you deal with. Therefore, if all your reviews are positive, then the local consumers will perceive you as too good to be true, or they may think they are self-generated. So as part of your webpage interface, ensure that you include both positive and negative reviews because it is what local consumers want from local business websites. They want honest reviews to help them access your performance.

 Easy navigation and good outlook

They say that appearance matters and how you dress is how people will address you. The same case applies to your website too. Its general design is what will attract or turn away your local consumers. Take an example of you, whenever you are browsing through an individual site, and you find it in plain black and white block paragraphs, without logos or factors to distinguish the headings from the rest, you are most likely to leave it with immediate effect. Which is why you should ensure that your layout, the visual design, and even your content is of high quality so it can attract the users to find out what you are all about. In addition, don’t forget the architecture as it goes hand in hand with the design. In layman’s terms, it refers to the ease of navigation. For instance when a customer clicks on a certain product, it should automatically take them to a page with more details regarding it. Also, ensure that it is not slow and you frequently update it with blogs concerning you as a business. A superb user experience is what local consumers want from your local business web page.

 The gender and age factor

It will make no sense if you create a highly attractive website, but it does not cater for you target age and gender.So if you operate a business which mostly targets the 18-34 age brackets, consider setting up a website that is highly user-friendly, is not that serious and should have a little fun and entertainment content to attract this group of millenniums. If your audience is much older than that, then too much play will not work here while if it’s the gender factor use terms which both groups are familiar with.

 Additional guidance content

Finally, local consumers want a local website to have extra sources of information. For instance, it should have at least one video which guides them on what it does and if not, it should include its social media accounts so the users can fetch more reviews if they are not convinced with the ones on your page.

 Summary

In a nutshell, local consumers want to use a website that is,

• Easy to navigate through and which offers them a good user experience by being speedy
• Has an attractive interface
• Contains vital information regarding the business
• Additional content to guide them such as videos, and even social media platforms
• Reviews
• Clear graphics
• Considers the age and gender factor