Word of Mouth Marketing vs. Local Search Marketing

In Media by RankWorks

When a consumer is looking to make a decision on purchasing a product or ordering a service, it is important for a business owner to understand what are all the components involved in the decision-making process.

When a sale is made it is usually because a customer has found a sense of trust with the company that they’ve decided to do business with.  Word of mouth is a cost-effective strategy to gain that trust and attract new customers.   Most local businesses rely heavily on word of mouth referrals to grow their business because of the fact that it is cost effective.  However, is this the best marketing method to accelerate real growth for a local business?

When a potential customer hears about your business from a friend or family member, one of the first things that they are going to do is search for your business online and see if there are reviews or testimonials that other customers have written.  Therefore, online business reviews matter more than ever before because consumers are using them to make purchasing decisions.  91% of consumers regularly read online customer reviews to determine whether a local business is good or bad.  Reading about other people’s experiences is valuable information for consumers and this social proof is used by Google to rank companies higher in their local search results.  A company that has a lot of 5-star reviews on its Google page will rank higher than its competition and therefore receive more business calls.  We can also assume that the higher ranked company is closing a lot more business deals compared to the competition.  The value of online reviews for businesses and consumers is enormous and translates into real dollars and cents. 

The local business market is highly competitive and if a company is only relying on word of mouth its missing out on a huge amount of business.  Consider that 46% of all Google searches are local and that 60% of the people who searched for local businesses use a smartphone.  Furthermore, according to Hubspot, 86% of consumers look up the location of a business on Google Maps and 72% of those consumers who search for local businesses, end up visiting the physical location within five miles.  With reviews, maps, ratings, and descriptions, Google’s search engine results page alone provides a plethora of information—before a user even clicks on a result!  Therefore, we can conclude that Local Search Marketing is powering the sales growth for many local businesses.  The problem is that too many small business owners are consumed with the daily tasks of running their business and don’t have the time to focus on their online presence.  Unfortunately, small business owners don’t have the necessary resources available to focus on making their company’s website a marketing vehicle that drives new opportunities and attracts new clients. 

At RanWorks we are dedicated to providing a solution and making your business stand out online.  We employ digital marketing methods that will attract targeted visitors, and this will make it easier for clients to find your business when conducting an online search.  RankWorks WaaS (website as a service) was developed with the exact purpose of helping small to medium size companies grow online.  WaaS is everything a business owner needs to get and keep a professional web presence.  This service covers the design, development, hosting, maintenance and periodic updates that every website needs.  The extra value that WaaS provides is that every two years RankWorks will redesign your website at no extra cost.  This way, your website never gets old and stays current along with any new Google rules updates. 

For more information or to book an online business analysis with one of our web experts please contact us