5 Ideas to Revive High Street Shopping

Here’s how to make sure your business shows up in the right search results. The digital revolution of the last decade has made finding a solution to a problem simple. Whether you’re looking for a local mechanic, the best coffee nearby, or a last-minute gift, a quick Google search will reveal your options — and it’s the same for your customers. In fact,  97% of people now go online to look for local businesses. Understanding how to market a small business locally is crucial to attracting new customers. As restrictions ease across several states, people are primed to spend their money supporting local businesses. With so many consumers turning to the web for recommendations, it’s critical your business ranks highly in the search results that best match your business. This is where local SEO is key. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a strategy that helps you land a higher spot on Google’s search results pages, and it’s something that any local business can benefit from. Your goal? Get in the Google 3-Pack for the search terms that best fit your business. What is the Google 3-Pack? When you type a search into Google, the results page delivers the most relevant results. Google has always worked this way. However, over time, it has discovered a way to provide even more relevant search results for queries. After analysing trillions of searches, the brains behind Google realised the importance of proximity; people tend to search for things “close to me”. This is called a query with local intent, and it’s the reason why Google’s algorithm now factors in your location when you make a search — so it can provide the most geographically relevant results. Thanks to location sharing, Google now does this for you — whether you include a location in your search or not. Here’s where the Google 3-Pack comes into play: it’s a method Google uses to display the top three geographically relevant results at the top of each page. For example, if you’re looking for fresh laksa for dinner, searching “laksa delivery” in Google will turn up a list of locations near your house. If you searched the same term from your city office, Google would return different results relevant to that new location. While registering your location may seem like a relatively new development, local search has been a fixture for years — yet customers were tethered to their desktop computer to do it. These days, thanks to the rise of mobile usage, mobile search has become an extremely powerful tool for local businesses. Here’s how to get your business on the maps of local searchers. 1. Have an active Google My Business listing First thing’s first, you need to activate your Google My Business listing. Follow the steps in our blog post to get started. This alone will do wonders for your SEO ranking, which has a waterfall effect on the health of your business overall — as it’s how the majority of customers will find you. In fact, people are 70% more likely to visit businesses that have a Google My Business listing. Aside from SEO benefits of activating your Google My Business listing, in doing so you are making your business more accessible to customers. Once you complete your listing, people will be able to view important details about your business — including opening hours, contact numbers, website links and images, helping them to make a decision about whether your business has what they want or need. 2. Get reviews Reviews are highly persuasive marketing materials. If Google users have endorsed or rated your business, an average star rating will appear on your profile. If it’s a high rating, chances are it’ll make you stand out from other businesses on the 3-Pack. It’s a powerful metric that could be the difference between a glance online and a sale. Consumers tend to trust the word of another, impartial consumer over businesses themselves — so it’s important you maintain a strong online reputation. In fact, almost 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, so you can essentially consider every positive review a personal endorsement. That’s why reviews have the power to drive foot traffic, perhaps more than any other detail on your Google My Business listing. 3. Localise your content Localised content can sway your Google search ranking. Put simply, this means you need to include your suburb and any other common area name in your website copy. Or, you could take this a few steps further and create blog content that naturally weaves local terms into the copy. If your business has multiple shopfronts, it’s important to build dedicated local landing pages for each of your different locations. These pages should feature important details such as your address, phone number, optimised title tags, and meta descriptions. For example, if you own a café brand that operates in different locations, not only should they each have dedicated Google My Business Profiles, but they should each have a dedicated page on your website. 4. Localise your links and backlinks Links and backlinks are inbound and outbound redirects to and from other websites and they can build trust and authority around your business, increasing your business’s chance of appearing in the 3-Pack. Ways you can cultivate links include sponsoring events, supporting local charities, or partnering with other businesses. The more locally relevant those links are, the better. When a backlink to your page appears on other websites, it creates another channel of web traffic — which in turn boosts your SEO performance, so even if you don’t appear in the 3-Pack, your organic ranking will still be high on the search results page. 5. Keep your online profile up-to-date Once you have your online profile up to scratch, it’s important to keep it up to date. When your profile is accurate, it can amplify your business’s visibility in Google search results — driving more foot and web traffic. However, if your profile directs customers to your businesses when the doors or closed, or to your old location, you risk losing valuable business. Therefore, it’s important to keep your details consistent across all online profiles, especially while lockdowns and easing restrictions can affect opening hours. It’s also important to ensure you’re regularly updating your profile. The fact that there are photos on your profile could see you receive as much as 35% more clicks and 42% more requests for directions than businesses that don’t. So, when a new product line or menu item is released, take a quick snap and share it to your profile to attract more customers. Sign up to our Business Blog to cash in on valuable insights sent straight to your inbox.

Point customers in the right direction with a strong Google My Business listing. Whether you run a brick and mortar business or an ecommerce brand, your potential customers are searching for you online. The easiest way to make sure they choose your business over a local competitor? By becoming the easiest to find. By claiming and optimising your business’s listing, you’re increasing your chances of being found by new customers. Plus, Google My Business is free — which makes it a useful marketing tool for small and big businesses alike. Keep reading to learn more about how Google My Business works, and what it can do for your business. What is Google My Business? In the last 20 years, search traffic has grown by 2,000%, to the point where there are now more than 2 trillion Google searches each year. This rise in online activity has meant that conversations around where to find products and services have largely moved online. In 2014, Google recognised that more and more people were turning to its platform for business recommendations by launching Google My Business — an online directory that allows you to create a dedicated profile for your brand. Google My Business is essentially a free online tool that businesses can utilise to share important information and attract customers. Here's how it's going to help you grow your business. It helps customers find your business By simply verifying your Google My Business listing, your business’s location will show up in relevant Google Maps searches. This is important because the second most important factor for consumers when searching for and selecting a local business is proximity. (The first is online reviews.) People are 70% more likely to visit businesses with a Google My Business listing. Whether searching for a local key cutter or place to grab a sandwich, Google Maps will quickly populate an area with dozens of red markers — each of which represent a local business that meets the search criteria. By simply creating a Google My Business listing, people can instantly see how close they are to your location. For brick and mortar businesses, that means having a strong Google My Business listing typically leads to a substantial increase in foot traffic. It improves your overall SEO performance Your listing will also serve to benefit your business online by playing a big part in your overall SEO performance. As a local business, your goal is to get in Google’s Local 3-Pack. This puts your online presence at the top of relevant search results, where the person searching Google is within close proximity, driving more foot traffic to your business.  Claiming your Google My Business listing is the first step to being in this coveted position. It puts you in control Don’t leave your customers guessing whether you’re open for business on a public holiday, or whether your location has moved. Misinformation can create negative customer experiences and cause missed opportunities. Luckily, a Google My Business listing allows you to keep the public informed about your business. Your Google My Business listing includes business hours, contact details, and other important information such as a menu or services list. You can update your listing as and when you need — for example, to advise you’re offering click and collect through lockdown. Suffice to say, regardless of your industry, your brand stands to gain a lot from a strong Google My Business profile. Is Google My Business compulsory for business owners? In short, no — Google My Business isn’t something you have to do. However, your business can still appear as an ‘unclaimed business’ on Google. The risk of not claiming your business is that this orphaned listing could have incorrect or outdated information that, as a result, sees you miss out on potential sales, enquiries and visits to your business. Therefore, the best thing you can do is learn how to use Google My Business to your advantage. How to set up a Google My Business page The good news is setting up your listing is simple. Step 1 Visit the Google My Business homepage . Click ‘Manage Now’ and you’ll be prompted to log in or sign up. Step 2 Enter your business name. This is where you’ll have the chance to ‘claim a business’ or create a new one. Step 3 Set up your business profile. This includes selecting a business category, location, service area, phone number, and website. Step 4 Verify your business address. This will involve Google sending a postcard with a unique verification code to the business address provided. Until this verification code has been received and entered, a number of Google My Business functions (such as replying to reviews) will be restricted. Step 5 Outline your business details. This includes your services, hours of operation, business summary, and images. These can be product, team or premises photos — whatever serves to convey your business most effectively. Step 6 Make any final tweaks in your dedicated Google My Business hub. This is where you can review your business information, track insights and reviews. You can also upload a logo, cover image, and additional business photos, as well as add team members, publish posts and respond to direct messages. Once you’ve received your Google postcard and verified your profile, your listing will be there for all the world to see — but the work doesn’t stop there. Mastering your profile moving forward While it’s important to set up your Google My Business page, it’s equally important to ensure you invest time in maintaining it. According to Google, something as simple as uploading photos will see you receive 35% more clicks to your website and 42% higher requests for driving directions in Google Maps than businesses that don’t. To ensure you’re making the most of your listing, set aside regular time to do the following: check your business’s contact details and location are up to date ensure your opening hours are accurate (this is particularly important when changing restrictions can affect business operating hours) monitor and respond to business reviews — even the negative ones — as this shows that you value your customers and their feedback add any relevant third party links, such as delivery or booking service pages advertise any current offers that might drive website or foot traffic upload product photos or menu items to ensure potential customers are aware of exciting new offerings create and monitor your Google ads to help drive business Think of the last time you used Google to search for a local business, and how easy Google made the process. Now you’ve mastered the art of establishing a strong Google My Business listing, set aside an hour or two a month to keep it updated. 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Australians are showing their values with their wallets, and ramping up local spending. From buying produce at the farmer’s market to splurging on the local high street, consumers are becoming increasingly community-conscious when it comes to their spending. In fact, 73% of Australians say they are making a conscious effort to spend with local brands and businesses to help them recover from the financial blow dealt by the pandemic, according to a Mastercard survey. This is great news for business owners: a local customer is more likely to become a regular, and refer other locals your way. But how can you attract more conscious consumers? Keep reading to discover more about this trend, as well as five tips to attract more local customers. Shop Local is here to stay While the impact of the various lockdowns cannot be understated, one unexpected silver lining has emerged: a resurgence of local shopping areas.  With fewer consumers traveling to large shopping centres, whether due to restrictions or an unwillingness to visit potential exposure sites, many smaller shopping hubs have seen an uptick in sales. Even as restrictions on movement are lifted, it’s unlikely we’ll see a shift back to the way things were. The Shop Local trend is part of a drastic evolution of consumer spending habits, and clear proof of a shift towards more conscious consumerism. Ben Lazzaro, Chief Executive of the not-for-profit Australian Made Campaign Ltd (AMCL), believes the COVID-19 pandemic has changed consumer perspectives. “The pandemic very quickly highlighted our over-reliance on imported product and provided an impetus to address that imbalance,” he says. “I think it brought it home to a lot of us that the way we choose to spend our money can have an impact on Australia’s self-sufficiency as well as our economic future.” How to cash in on the trend People want to spend locally, whether that means purchasing craft beer at the local brewery or a birthday present at a neighbourhood retailer. However, in order to spend money at your business, consumers need to discover it. Here are five tips to attract more local customers to your business. 1. Make your business more discoverable on Google A recent study by Facebook found that the majority of today’s shoppers are searching the internet to plan their store visits in advance, which means it’s crucial that potential customers are able to find your business online. Understand the tools, websites and channels your target customers are using, and ensure your business has a strong presence in those areas. You’re probably already using Facebook or Instagram to promote your business, but what about Google? Add or claim your Google My Business listing, then populate your profile with your business’s contact details, store hours and other important information. Add photos of your store and products, and encourage customers to rate and review your business. 2. Accept more payment methods Offering more ways to pay isn’t just a convenience win for customers — it can also help you increase profits. According to the latest Mastercard New Payments Index , offering more payment customers can also help increase consumer spending. 74% of consumers would spend at small businesses more often if additional payment options were offered. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, contactless payment methods have been put front and centre as the ideal, hygienic way to pay. For those operating on a cash-only basis, it’s critical to understand the impact this operational decision is having on your bottom line. Not only is the cost of running a cash-only business higher than most people think, it also costs businesses customers. Getting more local customers in-store is only half the battle. Enable your staff to accept every payment from every customer by looking for a provider that supports payment via digital wallets, such as ApplePay and GooglePay, and QR codes such as Alipay. 3. Run a localised advertising campaign Geo-targeting allows you to run online campaigns targeted to potential customers in a specific area. Targeting your local area can help find the right customers for your business. Both the Google Display Network and Facebook allow you to target your ads to a particular country, state, city as well as postcode, however we recommend using the specific radius address. You tell the platform where your business is located, and it will target ads to people within a specific radius of that location. To help your ads stand out, localise your messaging. Do your research — if you’re the only local retailer that stocks a particular brand, or you have the lowest prices in your area, make it a focus of your ad text. 4. Offer curbside pickup To meet social distancing protocols and provide consumers peace of mind, consider setting up curbside pickup. It’s a convenience measure your customers will appreciate, allowing them to get items on the same day without stepping into the store or paying for rush shipping costs. For an even smoother customer experience, take your EFTPOS terminal to the curb so you can exchange goods for payment as seamlessly as possible. 5. Set up an online destination If there are other businesses within walking distance, consider setting up an online community. Show consumers that they can come to your business for a birthday card, then get a bottle of wine next door, and flowers from across the road. The impact is twofold: you’re helping to keep dollars in your hometown, and showing your community that you care for it and are willing to invest in it. “If communities do well, your business does well. That’s just how it works,” says Sandy Chong , CEO of the Australian Hairdressing Council. Many local shopping areas have recently undertaken such a community initiative, tapping into the power of the internet to connect with more locals. For example, the Chapel Street precinct has its own website (and independent destination marketing association), informing readers where to eat, drink and shop in an effort to drive more foot traffic into the area. Many shopping centres have an Instagram account that highlights sales and special events — send the account holiday a direct message to discover who’s running it, and provide them with content. Or, reach out to other business owners in your area and create your own online community. Attitudes towards supporting local economies have strengthened since the outbreak of the pandemic, creating a huge opportunity for small businesses to grow their customer base and increase profits. For more tips on growing your business, sign up to our Business Blog .