Running your own business can be an exciting and fulfilling venture, but it does not come without its hurdles. Hundreds of platforms, websites, and directories display listing information about your business—both accurately and inaccurately—online. How do your customers find you online depends on hour visible your listings are. Between juggling bills, scheduling your staff, and delivering excellent customer service, where do you find the time to manage your online presence? Does having accurate listing information online matter anyway?

The short answer is—Yes! In 2021, more than ever, companies are vying for a piece of real estate in the online marketplace. The more exposure your business can get, the better chance someone will find you and purchase from you. If your contact information is not up to snuff, you could be losing business. In this article, we will define what business listings are, why they’re important and effective ways to manage them.

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What are Business Listings?

A business listing is an online directory or platform that displays information about your business. Google then crawls the web this can include:

• Business name
• Address
• Phone number
• Business description
• Website
• Business hours
• Social media
• Location Map
• And more!

These sites are used as a resource to help people find and contact local businesses in their area, so the information they are searching for must be correct. Otherwise, they may never be able to find you and may stumble upon your competition instead.

How To Manage Your Online Business Listings

Many businesses choose to monitor and manage their online listings individually, but with hundreds of sites and directories, it’s challenging to keep track of everything. Ensuring that your business Name, Address, and Phone number (commonly referred to as “NAP”) are consistent across multiple sites does not have to be difficult.

Focus on Relevant Sources

If you are a restaurant, focus on managing and monitoring listing sites where people are going to specifically look for restaurants such as Yelp and TripAdvisor.  For doctors, keep up on Health Grades.

Update The Most Influential Listings

When someone is looking for a business, the first thing they may see on a search result is a Google My Business listing, and a Facebook Business Page. Make sure the listing sites that are the most popular are updated first before moving on to lesser-known ones. An added benefit of updating these sources is that other directories cross-reference and sync their data from sites like these automatically—it’s a win-win!

Utilize Data Aggregators and Syncing Software

Many listing sites pull their data from centralized centers called Data Aggregators. Sync your listing data automatically to hundreds of sites by submitting it directly to these data centers. As for one-offs that do not use Data Aggregators, try Blue Zone Marketing’s effective syncing software.

Understand The Value of NAP

NAP is one of the most basic first steps when monitoring your online presence.  You may think your business is fine with a Google My Business page and some social media.  2021 brings a higher standard to web searchability.  For instance, if you don’t have an accurate address listed with GM for your brick and mortar shop, guess who won’t be able to find you? – all those drivers using their car’s navigation systems to get around!  Accurate Business Listings reach farther than they ever have in today’s online marketplace.

Looking for the perfect listing management solution for your needs? At Blue Zone Marketing, we take the leg-work out of getting your digital presence to the next level. Check out our website, or contact us to get started today!

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