Effective Web Marketing for Local Businesses

I just finished watching a really good presentation on the "Right On, No Bull Marketing Channel" on BrightTalk.com - "Top online sales tips for local and regional companies". I usually avoid webcasts in favor of text based information presentations, but this site seems to have a lot of good content. This talk was given by Brian Offenberger - a.k.a. RSS Ray - who seems to have a lot of content out there on this and similar subjects.

This talk focuses on some simple but critical steps that small businesses can take to improve the amount of traffic coming to their websites and the number of sales that result from that traffic. The advice is summed up as -

1. Make sure the search engines know where you are located
2. Maximize the number of inbound links to your site from local authorities
3. Use the free local listing services provided by the major search engines and portals
4. Buy and use location-specific domain names
5. Engage in social media marketing
6. Write and distribute articles showcasing your knowledge and expertise

While none of this is rocket science these are some fundamental steps that local businesses can use to make real impact on their sales, and the information if presented in an engaging and informative manner. Highly recommended for any small local business looking to get more from their web based marketing presence.