The shops are closed again and your customers are at home. They are still searching for what you sell, but now they do it on their phone or laptop. Whoever is visible at that moment wins the sales that would otherwise go to the big web shops.
You do not need a large budget or a full web shop to do this. With a few smart steps, you can make sure people in your area find you and choose you. In this article you will read which steps those are and where best to start.
Start with your Google Business Profile
When someone searches for your business name or for your type of shop nearby, Google shows a map with business details on the right or at the top. You manage those details in Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). It is often the first thing people see of you.
Review your profile today. It takes about fifteen minutes.
- Opening hours: enter your adjusted hours, even if you only work by appointment.
- Delivery and collection: state what is possible. Check the current rules for your sector.
- Photos: add a recent photo of your premises, your products or your collection point.
- Contact details: check your phone number and the link to your website.
- Posts: share a short update about your offer or your collection times.
Also ask satisfied customers for a review. A profile with recent, positive reviews stands out from the rest.
Make it easy to order
A web shop does not have to be big. Many local businesses manage perfectly well with a simple page on their website. Put your most popular products or services there, with a clear price and a button to order.
Choose the method that suits you and your customers. That could be an order form, an email address or a WhatsApp number. With WhatsApp Business, a free app for companies, you can reply quickly and share your offer.
Think about payment too. iDEAL or a payment link makes things simple for your customer. The fewer the steps, the greater the chance that someone actually places an order.
Make sure you are found for the right search terms
People do not search for your business name, but for what they want to buy. Think of "order cake Amersfoort" or "bike repair collection". These are known as local searches.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the work that helps your website rank higher for such searches. You do not have to change everything at once. Start with these basics:
- Mention your town and your products in the titles and text on your website.
- Create a separate page for each product or service, with a short and clear description.
- Put your address, phone number and delivery area in a fixed place, for example at the bottom of every page.
- Check that your site works well on a phone. Most people search on one.
SEO does not work overnight. But it is work that keeps paying off, even when the shops are open again.
Advertise small and close to home
Want faster results? Then advertising is a good addition. With Google Ads, your business appears at the top of the search results, at exactly the moment someone is searching. On Facebook and Instagram, you show your offer to people in your area.
On both platforms you can set a radius. A radius of, say, ten kilometres around your shop means your money is only spent on people who can genuinely order from you or collect from you.
A few rules of thumb for a local campaign:
- Start with a small daily budget. You do not need to go big straight away.
- Make one clear offer, such as "ordered today, collected tomorrow".
- Send people to a page where they can order immediately, not to your homepage.
- Let the campaign run for at least two weeks before drawing conclusions.
Stay in touch with your existing customers
Finding new customers is great. But the people who have already bought from you are often the quickest source of sales. They already know you and trust you.
Send them a short email or newsletter with your current offer and your collection or delivery options. Keep it brief and include one button or link in the text. On social media, a personal message also works well, for example a photo of something you have just made or received.
Also ask customers to spread the word. A satisfied neighbour who recommends you in the local community app is free advertising.
What this can look like in practice
Imagine you run a delicatessen in a residential neighbourhood. The door has to stay closed, but you still want to sell your drinks platters and cheese boards. Your customers always used to order them in the shop.
First, you update your Google Business Profile. You add collection times, a photo of a platter and your WhatsApp number. Then you create a page on your website with three packages and an order form. You send a short email to your regular customers and set up a small campaign on Facebook and Instagram, with a radius of ten kilometres around your shop.
After two weeks, you look back. You see how many orders came in through the form and through WhatsApp. It turns out the cheese board sells best, so from now on you put it at the top. That way you spend your time and your budget where it works.
Measure what it delivers
Without measuring, you do not know what works. Fortunately, it does not have to be complicated. Mostly you want to know how many people get in touch or order, and where they come from.
You can track this in a few ways:
- Ask with every order how the customer found you.
- Use Google Analytics to see how many people visit your order page.
- Set up conversion tracking. This is a setting that counts how often someone places an order or clicks "call us".
- Check in Google Business Profile how often people call or request directions.
Then shift your budget towards what brings in the most orders. Stop what does nothing. This prevents you from wasting money at a time when every euro counts.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to have a complete web shop built?
No, that is not necessary to get started. A page with your most popular products and a simple way to order is enough for many local businesses. You can always build a more extensive web shop later if it turns out there is demand for one.
How much budget do I need for local advertising?
That differs by sector and by region. As a rule of thumb, you can start small, with a modest daily budget. Look at the results after a few weeks and adjust then. You can increase, reduce or stop the budget at any time.
How long does it take before I see results?
Changes to Google Business Profile often take effect within a few days. Advertisements usually bring in traffic within a few days. SEO takes longer: expect several weeks to months before you really rank higher.
Book a free 30-minute introductory meeting
Want to know where your opportunities lie to stay visible online? Then book a free 30-minute introductory meeting with Adventio Marketing in Amersfoort. Together we will look at your profile, your website and your current advertising. You will receive practical tips you can apply straight away, even if you then carry on by yourself.
Being visible online is no longer an optional extra. It is your shop window.
