Internet Marketing Strategist, Darren Biddle Reveals How Facebook is the New Yellow Pages
1. Internet Marketing Strategist, Darren Biddle Reveals How
Facebook is the New Yellow Pages
The decreasing use of yellow page by consumers has forced many business owners to rethink what
they need to do to be found by customers. Businesses today know they need to be online for
customers to find them but many struggle with their online visibility. The online options often seem
overwhelming to many small business owners. Website, Facebook, Google Places, and reviews sites
are just a few of the many online options facing business owners who want online visibility.
Here are the basics of what businesses need for a good online presence according to Internet
Marketing Strategist and owner of Darren Biddle Consulting.
1. A website and a domain name. If possible choose a domain name that is the same as the business
name. There is no need to spend thousands of dollars having a business website designed. It is
possible to get a professional website created for under a thousand dollars by shopping around. A
business website should contain at minimum, contact information, business location and hours of
operation.
2. Claim the Google places for the business. It only takes a few minutes to do this and it can be an
effective way to get the business listed in the search results. Make sure to include a link to the
business website.
3. When used correctly a Facebook page for a business can be one of the most effective online ways
to promote the business. Businesses that have a good Facebook page with great content and
followers may not even need a website for their business. Increasingly, many people use Facebook
almost exclusively to seek out a local business service they need.
4. Review sites. Like them or hate them online review sites are a fact of life for businesses today. An
effective strategy is to encourage loyal customers to leave reviews on these sites, thereby helping to
ensure the majority of reviews for the business will be positive.
Following the steps above will give most businesses a good start at developing an effective online
presence.
Darren Biddle is an Internet Marketing Strategist and owner of Darren Biddle Consulting and can be
found at http://darrenbiddle.com
What do you think of this story?
Select one of the options below. Your feedback will help tell CNN producers what to do with this
iReport. If you'd like, you can explain your choice in the comments below.
Be and editor! Choose an option below: