Most of us indeed like to support local businesses. They’re convenient and offer a chance to exhibit some local pride. We also get to know the owners, the employees, and others who shop there often.
If you’re a local business owner, you know how valuable your local customers can be. Though you may not always have time to greet each customer personally, there are other ways you can reach your favourite customers, garner new customers, and let them know about your local connection. Doing this through your website is ideal! You must make your local business website as personal as possible.
Buying from those you trust
We all like to make purchases from companies we know and trust, and while getting “personal” with your customers isn’t as easy online as it is in your store, shop, or office, there’s plenty you can do to help customers get to know you.
Talk about Yourself
Your company is much more than the products you sell or the services you offer. It’s about YOU – the owner and the person that keeps it going. Customers love to know something about the individual they’re doing business with, so write (or have someone else write) a great “about me” blurb for your site. It’s okay to get a little personal. That’s how people relate to you. So don’t hesitate to talk about your hobbies, your family, or anything else personal that might interest others and compel them to give your place of business a try. You’ll also want to mention your qualifications and background/education if it’s pertinent to the business. For example, your potential customers will want to know if you graduated from a prestigious fashion institute and run a boutique.
Introduce your local business team
Unless you’re a one-man/woman show, your customers will likely be dealing with other team members. So, give them space on the website and tell a little about each. If they are long-time locals, stress that in their bio and, by all means, let them brag a little about their experience. Include pictures of them doing something they love, or ask if you can include their family members in the photos too.
Plenty of photos
Besides individual photos of you and your team members, include group photos of you working together or just posing together. A team that appears to like each other (and, hopefully, you do!) is a team that others want to meet. Plus, when potential customers come to your website, they don’t want to spend lots of time reading, but they will take time to look at the pictures, just as you did when you read a book when you were a small child!
Include a little history of your local business
If your business has been in the local area for quite some time, talk about the company’s background and reflect on the “good ol’ days”. You should give them a sort of “origin story”. Your customers will love hearing about how you built your store when there was nothing but an empty lot next door or how horse-and-buggy transportation was still around when your great-great-grandfather started the business. If you have vintage photos to post, those are also a big hit. Capitalize on the area’s history and neighbourhood for a more solid connection with locals.
Being a local business and not a “chain” or “franchise” has many advantages, so be sure to use your website to link your personal story to your location. At Watershed9, our website builders and content writers can help you get the job done by suggesting appropriate photos and text to promote your local connection. For more information, complete our contact form on this site or call us at 604-337-1449.