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The following excerpt is from Robert W. Bly’s book The Digital Marketing Handbook. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | IndieBound
You may think the web is better suited to merchants who sell physical products like books, CDs, home decor, furniture, clothing, toys, and the like. But a well-designed website and accompanying multichannel marketing campaign can also sell professional services such as copywriting, coaching, book cover design, plumbing, interior design, and dozens of others key services consumers are searching for.
What if you’re a plumber or contractor, or you want to offer job search coaching, resume writing, or tutoring to people only in your local area? Is a website, which can reach people globally, the best idea for you? The short answer is: absolutely. People use the web to find local businesses more than they use the Yellow Pages. According to search engine marketing company Hang Ten SEO:
- 46 percent of all searches on Google are local.
- 18 percent of local searches lead to a sale.
- 50 percent of consumers who performed local searches on their smartphones visited a store within one day.
- 34 percent of consumers who performed local searches on their computer or tablet visited a store within one day.
- 50 percent of mobile searches are looking for a business name, address, phone number, or service information.
The bottom line is, it pays to have an effective website for your service business even when you serve…
