There is a lot of store owners confused today when it comes to creating a smart, effective online marketing strategy. So often I see the shotgun approach - do a little of everything and see what sticks. A large part of that is due to lack of understanding and hearing all the hype about what is the latest online rage. So many local businesses try to do to much and in the process do nothing extremely well.

Deal of the day websites like Groupon are a prime example of hype we have all heard for a while. Now there is a saturation with too many of these type websites and they are starting to loose their effectiveness with many local consumers. A lot of small businesses jumped on offering deals without thinking through to the end result - will this be profitable for my business (ROI). Plus, consumers becoming overwhelmed with to many offers in the inbox.

Many stores are starting to post on Facebook and some are even Twittering, or have some company twitter for them. But few have a real content strategy and even fewer are measuring their results to see if it is worth their precious time. Also, few stores analyze if their tweets and Facebook posts are really engaging their targeted local  consumers. For example: go to your Twitter and Facebook page and pull out all your friends, relatives, competitors and employees and count how many are left. Ask yourself: "Do potential local buyers go to my Facebook page first to decide if they are going to shop my business? Or, are they more likely to go to my website or search engine local listings first, like Google Places, before visiting my store?"

So here is what I recommend store owners to start with for their online local business strategy:

1.  Establish your online marketing goals
1. For example:  drive online, local targeted buyers to your storefront
2. Keep the goal(s) in focus with everything you do online
2. Get your website in order first
1. Local SEO optimized
2. Compelling content for driving targeted buyers to your store
3. Highly visible "Call-To-Actions"
4. Google Analytics & Webmaster Tools to measure website results
3. Claim, or add, your store locations to all major Yellow-Page type business directories
1. Google Places a must!
2. There are about 15 other business directories to add all your store locations too as well
3. Be sure to include good description, website address, categories, upload photos and video if possible
4. Get other local listings where possible to improve your visibility
1. Local Chamber of Commerce website
2. Local newspaper business listings, if available online
3. Supplier's websites store listing
4. Association member listings (for example: www.WFCA.org)
5. BBB online
6. Exchange links with other local businesses
5. Create a public Facebook store page (after the above are completed, not before)
1. Keep content interesting to targeted buyers
2. Try posting promotions and drive to website, create special landing page
3. Make sure website is update to date with sales, etc.
4. Measure the results
6. Set up a pay-per-click advertising campaign
1. Establish a monthly dollar budget
2. Bid on local geo-keywords +  major product groups you don't do well with in natural search
3. Create compelling text ads and tweak as need
4. Create special geo-targeted, relevant landing pages with "Call-To-Action"
5. Measure the results weekly
7. Re-examine all the above after 3-6 months to see what is working and what is not

Confused? Have questions? Feel free to drop me an email: john@webstreamdynamics.com.