So you started a new company, congratulations, the first step to bigger and better things! Is it perhaps a restaurant, a gym, or maybe a consulting company? Regardless of the type of business, if you have a brick and mortar location you need to get your business listed, and even if you don’t have a real brick and mortar location you probably want to get yourself listed too.
This becomes really important if you want to have your business show up in local search results from services such as Google Maps & Business listings, Mapquest, Yelp, or other local online search services specific to your area.
There is a good chance that your business already is listed in some online databases or directories, but, as the owner of the company you will want to be in charged of what information is being displayed about your business to your clients or customers!
Below is a list of a few common places where business owners should start and make sure they have accurate and current listings.
- Citysearch
- Foursquare
- Mapquest
- Navteq
- Truvo
- Where
- Yelp
For you as the business owner, taking ownership of those listings within these directories is crucial. As the owner you will want to maintain accurate, update-to-date and complete information within you listings. You also want to monitor via location based services who is checking into your place of business, what they are doing and what people are saying about you.
But, you are not done once you have yourself listed in the directories, keeping the listings up-to-date, regularly adding notes, promotions, coupons or specials and simple things like updating your seasonal business hours need to become second nature if you want to be found in the directories.
A parting thought, if you are not claiming that business listing chances are that the crowd is adding your location to the directories and the chances are high that incorrect or incomplete information is being shared with your potential customers!
Cas Hoefman – Coworking Connection Member
