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LOCAL-WORLDWIDE WEB SITES: Implementing Local Search Engine Optimization

A large part of the interest in having a website on the internet has to do with the web's nationwide and worldwide dynamic. For many large companies and organizations this dynamic has become as much a part of daily business as conference calling.

However, when it comes to a more local or regional dynamic, many small business owners seem to feel a minimal web-presence is enough, saying that what has worked for them in the past (whether it's word-of-mouth, print, radio or cable television advertising) will suffice. Some feel there simply is no intrinsic value to being on the web at all.

I came off of my "internet soapbox" many years ago, but return to it from time-to-time. The fact is, it's all fairly simple:

Your business or company website should "grow your business" irregardless of whether your customers are local, regional, nationwide or worldwide.

I have clients in France, England, Australia, Canada and Mexico. I have clients throughout most of the United States. And, I have clients in Waterbury, Brookfield, Stamford and New Milford, Connecticut (where I live and work). The vast majority of my clients are not interested in worldwide customers or sales. In fact, many of them cringe when the opportunity does arise. There are even instances when having a "more than local response" to a site will cause more problems than anyone (including myself) could have imagined. But, those occurances are really the exception (and we normally come up with the ways to deal with them).

The true value of having a website is based on economics and dynamics. For less than the price of a traditional newspaper or magazine advertisement (with limited distribution and short longevity) you can potentially reach each and every household and workplace (i.e. potential customer) in your immediate area with your products, services or information. Add the fact that you can include photos, adjust and amend content, or even add videos to your site... well, it becomes a no-brainer that the economics of the web are easy to justify.

Each media compliments the other when used in a very planned marketing campaign. I can't tell you how often I see advertisements in the newspaper that don't mention a particular company or store website. Likewise, a multitude of websites miss the opportunity to mention upcoming print or direct mailings, trade shows, exhibitions, regionals fairs and events which their respective business particicipates in.

I like to stress - to new and long-term clients alike - that the objective of the work on a website is seldom to merely design and webpublish it. Simply putting a site on the web is actually quite simple. The real challenges are:

How are people going to find the site?
Does the actual dynamic of the site encourage repeat visitors?
Is the site appropriate to your customer or visitor interests?
Are you gaining from the website? And, if not - what can we do to change that?

To these questions, and many others, New Milford Web Design does offer a variety of solutions and the means to achieve them. Generally, these specific issues are covered by concentrating on local SEO services. New Milford Web Design offers an organic approach to local SEO. The philosophy behind it is actually quite simple. Rather than spending time and energy chasing the Search Engines, I create a site which attracts them. With that in place, all that remains is refining our objectives, in essence - "getting our act together" to create a sustainable and reliable ranking. In most cases, that is the key to attracting local business or inquiries.

Although there are some initial costs involved in implementing a local SEO campaign, after a few months it becomes a simple matter of tweaking and readjusting content and delivery to advantage. Many of my long-time clients have simply grown into the routine. Somewhere between "how's the weather" and "what's new with the family," we discuss what needs to be done.

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