Online business directories are increasingly popular with those looking for services of products online that are made available from different companies and businesses. Generally, the businesses are classified by their category or their location. This helps prospective clients find instant results by conducting an online search, which is far more convenient and faster that looking through the yellow pages of standard business directory. In addition, since businesses found in an online directory feature their websites, all the individual needs to do is click on the link of the website and they gain instant access to the related business.
Improved Exposure for a business
For a business manager or owner, one of the biggest benefits of being part of an online directory is greater exposure or better brand visibility. It is a well-known fact in business marketing that the higher the brand visibility the better for any business. Building a brand involves marketing the products, services, slogans, logo etc. For this the marketing needs to be consistent so that the brand recognition is firmly implanted on the mind of the consumer. Since the attention span of prospective consumers searching online is very brief before they move on to the next brand, your product or service must form part of all relevant searches online. If you competitors are appearing consistently in search queries when potential clients are trying to find businesses like you offer, your site must have a strong presence or else you will lose your business to a competitor.
Business Directories and SEO
One of the most important aspects of having any business online is that of SEO (search engine optimisation). For a business owner having to take out the time and try to learn about the nitty gritty of SEO is just not practical. Having an established and reputed online business directory takes care of this aspect. SEO is complicated and among the parameters used to display search results based on ranking is trust. For this there are complex algorithms at work that identify sites trusted by users. This feature is noticed by Google and all the major search engines that consequently any business directory that does not meet the standards will not feature in the top rankings. It is therefore imperative to only seek a trusted online directory, as being associated with a recognised and highly ranked directory will carry a slew of benefits. Consequently, the business will draw in potential customers as the site is trusted and the rankings remain high with Google. This helps to resolve the need to bother about SEO and its ramifications.
Keep track of the competition
The most effective way to build your brand visibility among online consumers is having your company or business listed with a first-rate business directory that has a sterling reputation and high SEO rankings. Instead, you then need to focus on the competitors in your niche and the steps taken by them to promote their business over yours. As the owner of any business, you always need to be aware of the competition and where they have a possible edge in your niche. By going through the names of your competitors an checking which directories they favour to increase their brand visibility you get a good idea of where they stand. At times wit may help to point out a directory that you skipped. Google analytics will help to identify the volume of business that has gone their way from each directory. It also gives you a clear picture of which directories are not performing up to the mark. If you notice hardly any or no clicks have been directed from that directory, it reflects that both the directory and your competitor have slid down in rankings.
Remaining watchful
The digital world is highly dynamic so you need to be at the top of things at all times to maintain an edge. Since rankings fluctuate frequently the business has to be well placed at all times. At times any directory may suddenly drop in performance and rankings because of a competitor site. This will become obvious through the use of SEO and Google. Any good business directory will keep its users well informed about their business’s stats by looking at the click-through rate if it is picking up or tapering off. If the latter you will need to make changes in the business description or categories. Being updated with your business statistics helps to stay at the top of the competition.
