Your business likely has a either a physical location or a service area, but how is your customer going to find you? Well, if you have a physical location, you probably put up a big sign. Maybe that sign even lights up. If your company offers a service and doesn’t have a store front, you probably have a big wrap on your truck with your phone number, a list of services, and the company logo.
All of these things are great, but only work in a casual sense. If someone is actively looking for a plumber, they may pull up behind a plumber van and call the number, they could ask their friends, or they might do a google search on their phone.
Most small businesses ignore the internet entirely. I know because when I am in a new town and look for a restaurant, all I can find are the large chains that probably have media departments that handle these things.
With a little work, your small business can look like it has an entire media department working for it as well.
A good place to start is Google. Google Business is the place to setup your business address, phone number, and hours. If you own a service company, you can specify a service area and service hours.
This allows google to display accurate results and helps those customers find you.
Other options to consider are Google Maps, Waze, and Facebook; which all have location, service area, and business hours built into their searches.
The best part is that these services are free. Google wants your business listed correctly. Waze wants your store address to be correct. Google maps wants to display accurate images of your storefront. Customers also want to use companies that they can find and know are open. It is a win for everyone.