The Web Is Now The Local Web

Over 55 percent of consumers said that the Web is influential in purchases made at local retail locations. As the Web continues to become the dominant medium, local businesses must improve their findability.

55 percent to 65 percent of consumers say that search is at least somewhat influential in purchases made at retail locations. Beyond retail products, more consumers are looking online for local services, and businesses are looking online for local partners, suppliers and services. Newspapers and physical "Yellow Pages" directories haven’t been left behind, but they’re now pieces of a much larger puzzle.

Search engines are no longer the be-all and end-all of a local web strategy. Most businesses will benefit from a multi-faceted approach. Past the top general search engines, a big trend today is convergence websites, which combine local directory-style business listings with paid search and display advertising. These sites can include user generated reviews, a blog, coupons, maps and links to other businesses. Users of local content sites and local newspapers create a channel for local display advertising that did not exist before. These sites can be national in scope, but create a targeted audience that is local with defined intent.

Local advertising is growing faster online with display and search advertising leading the way. Local classified advertising, which is a much larger and more mature market, is growing online as well. The AdBean platform makes access to local newspapers and local content easy and gives the advertiser a way to maximize ad spend locally, without having to use pure play sites to achieve your goals.

Comments

[Book Reviews]

That rss page on your site here is amazing, you should tell people about it in your upcoming post. I haven't noted it a first, now I'm using it each morning to check on any updates. I'm on a real slow dial-up link in Ohio and it's quite frustrating to sit there and wait for such a long time 'til the page loads... but hey, I just found your rss page and added it to the Google Reader and voil? - I'm always up-to-date! Well pal, keep up the good work and make that rss button a little bigger so that other people can enjoy that as well :-P