Why Location Management Is Critical To Building Trust With Regional Customers

If you were hoping for brick-and-mortar business success over a decade ago, you first had to make sure that your location had a conspicuous sign and a listing in the Yellow Pages. Today, basic business information can be found in several places — but the majority of people (97%, in fact) learn about local businesses online more than anywhere else. That’s why it’s important to be strategic with your business location data and create a comprehensive location management plan.

What Is Location Management?

Location management, also called listings management, is the process of continuously updating and maintaining your business’s location data across search engines, online directories, websites, and other customer-facing platforms. A local listing typically comprises NAP data:

• Name – Your business’s name
• Address – Your business’ address locations
• Phone number – Your business’ phone number(s).

Maintaining your listing involves updating your business hours, as well as other contact information, on Google.

You might think that location management doesn’t need to be at the top of your list of marketing tasks today. Despite the e-commerce explosion, however, brick-and-mortar stores are still relevant: Seventy-eight percent of location-based mobile searches lead to offline purchases, and 72% of consumers who do local searches visit stores within five miles of their locations. It’s critical to stay on top of your location management strategy so that customers and potential clients have the most up-to-date information about your company.

Building Trust With Customers Using Effective Location Management

Keeping your business’s location data current means updating a lot of platforms, especially if you have stores in multiple locations. If you work for a franchise, for example, you have to keep each location up to date online, including addresses, contact information, and business hours. And there are at least 100 online directories to consider. That sounds overwhelming, but you can use these tips to better handle your location management for a more successful business:

1. Use location management to build trust. A hallmark of a successful business is trust. In fact, it drives almost half of the buyers’ purchasing decisions. One of the best ways you can build trust with your audience is by ensuring that your business’s location data is completely accurate. Potential customers want to know you, like you and trust you. Ensuring that your business’s information is correct signals that you are in tune with customers’ needs and value their time. After all, there’s nothing worse than checking online for a business’s hours before you set off to go shopping only to arrive and find out it’s closed.
2. Include updated, accurate photos. If your business features a list of services, make sure that it’s updated as frequently as possible with brand-appropriate photos. Including photos with your services and other listings helps customers know what to expect when visiting your business either in-person or online. Plus, consumers are 64% more likely to remember what they hear or read it’s accompanied by an image.
3. Stay consistent across the web. Distributing the same information around the web shows commitment to your company’s brand and conveys a uniform image. As much as 40% of your audience is doing other things on the go while searching for your business. Having the same presence online with your business listings, in print, and at your brick-and-mortar stores will inspire confidence and drive conversions because your company information and messaging will be more consistent and memorable.

One of the key components of marketing success is customer trust. Diligent location management tells customers that you are consistent with your services, you offer what you say that you offer, and you’ll be there when customers need you. In turn, you can use location management to boost sales and create a unique brand identity in your industry.

Improve your location management with the help of CMG Local Solutions today. 

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