Why Digital Marketing is necessary for Local Businesses in Oman?
Any businesses in Oman, including small brick-and-mortar businesses, should be taking advantage of digital marketing right now. Marketing online provides tons of opportunities for small businesses, even those that have a small budget. Digital marketing can be done on just about any budget and scaled as the business grows to continue fitting its needs. The following are some of the things small businesses can do if they start marketing their business online.
1. Reach Customers Where They Are
Most of your customers are now online. According to Google, 76% of online users search for local businesses on their smartphones. Meanwhile, 28% of those searches result in a purchase.
Digital marketing helps you become more visible on search engines and social media platforms where potential consumers usually are. It enables you to target them based on age, gender, location, job, income level, interests, and more.
If you have a brick-and-mortar business, digital marketing makes it easier for people to find you. This increases your chances of engaging with consumers searching for businesses nearby that offer products or services like yours.
2. Make it Easy for Customers to Find the Business
When consumers are looking for something, they most likely start with a search on Google. Most of these searches are for products or services “near me” so they’re looking for local businesses that have what they need. If a small business doesn’t have an online presence, these consumers won’t find that business and will likely end up going to a competitor instead.
Just diving into the basics of digital marketing allows small business owners to reach these consumers and let them know about the business. A Google My Business listing has the necessary information about the small business, and just creating the page makes it possible for the company to be found online. Consumers can spot the listing and get the business’s phone number, store hours, address, and more.
3. Have the Online Presence that Customers Expect
Once a consumer does learn about a business, they’ll likely look online to get more information. They may pass the storefront on the way to work and decide to look up the hours to see when it’s convenient to stop in the store. If the small business doesn’t have a web presence, they’re not going to find the information they need and will likely end up not visiting the business in person.
Consumers today expect businesses to have at least a minimal online presence. They expect to see a Google My Business listing, complete with photos, store hours, a phone number and address, and more. They also expect to be able to find a website for any business, no matter how small, so they can make sure the business offers what they need and get more information about the business before stopping by. A lack of a website is often taken by consumers to mean the small business isn’t legitimate and not worth visiting.
4. Take Advantage of a Higher ROI
Unlike other types of marketing, digital marketing offers a higher return on investment (ROI) for small businesses. It helps you achieve meaningful results, such as finding more customers and boosting conversions.
Digital marketing is highly effective and easily scalable, so you can adjust your budget as needed to keep bringing in more customers. You can begin investing small, then go all-out once you see the results.
Even if you are a brick-and-mortar store that is just getting started, you will still see huge returns for the money and time spent marketing online.
5. Drive Results for Your Local Business
Whether you want to reach more customers or establish your brand reputation online, digital marketing provides you with many benefits. Start investing in this strategy today and see how it can impact your local business.
Need help getting there? Mercury can deliver powerful results for your business through our range of quality digital marketing services.