Around 53% of shoppers visited a retailer after receiving a location-based message.
That proves how using geofencing in your marketing strategy can reap many benefits for your business. You may have heard the term but are unsure of what it is and how to use it.
“What is geofencing?" you ask?
We will let you know alongside ten reasons your business should incorporate it. Read on to find out more about geofencing and geotargeting.
What's Geofencing?
You don't have to Google geofencing, we have got the definition here.
Geofencing creates a virtual perimeter around a real-world geographical location. This boundary is set, so whenever someone enters or exits the perimeter, anyone using your app will get a notification.
These alerts include geofencing push notifications, texts, or emails, depending on what the user has chosen.
As a result, the user can see where your business is located. If you are wondering, "how does geotargeting work?" know the business creates a geofence through GPS, which provides accurate coordinates.
The 10 Benefits of Geofencing
Now we understand the geofencing technology. We must discuss how it can help your business. There are many ways to use geofencing marketing. For example:
1. Gives You Customer Insight
Every business must know their target audience, so they know who to address.
Because geofencing is location-based, it gives you plenty of data about consumers, which you can use to your advantage.
For example, you can track the number of metrics like how many times customers have visited your store and how often. Plus, the geofencing technology informs you of the other places they go before visiting your store.
2. Boosts Local Sales
Geofencing gives businesses an in-depth analysis of which clients are nearby, and who is more likely to make a purchase.
You can use this data to create a more effective local marketing campaign. As a result, you will get greater conversions because more leads will visit your store.
3. Enhances Customer Engagement Levels
Businesses use geofencing to send targeted notifications to their customers, especially as 53% of app users agree to add their location.
And because these aren't generic, customers are more likely to engage with your brand.
4. Saves Time and Money
Geofencing helps many industries save time and money. For instance, if you’re a food delivery service, then geofencing will notify you whenever your drivers leave their designated area.
That means you know when employees are working, saving you time and money in the long run.
5. Motivates Customers to Spend More
Customers who have installed your app will get a push notification whenever they enter your geofenced area. That means you can send out notifications about last-minute deals.
Restaurants, for instance, can send out push notifications at breakfast, lunch, and dinner time to entice customers. But it’s important to limit the number of push notifications you send; otherwise, consumers will ignore your notifications, turn them off, or uninstall your app.
6. Promotes Brand Awareness
Customers may have downloaded your app, but they haven’t stepped into your store or establishment. Yet with geofenced notifications, you can gently remind users that your business has something to offer.
So whenever you have a promotion or a deal, send them and encourage customers to engage with your business. Further, don’t forget a well-timed holiday ad as they help customers find something they’re actually searching for.
7. Personalizes the Customer Experience
Nearly 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences.
Using geofencing, send offers tailored to your customers’ preferences. No one wants to be bombarded with spammy marketing messages, so personalize yours as much as possible.
8. Outdo Your Competitors
If a competitor has recently opened a storefront next door, create a geofence around yours and their store then offer a deal to anyone who goes there.
Location-based data feels like an invasion of privacy, but geofencing has been developed to coincide with the latest privacy laws so you won’t get in trouble.
9. Use It to Display Ads
One of the most popular ways to use geofencing is for display ads. It is where businesses add a particular IP address or specific mobile location to their ad campaign.
When you do this, you can release display ads in a controlled manner based on a customer’s real-time location. And don’t forget social media as many users rely on it to stay up-to-date and find recommendations for services.
Create social media ads with geofencing by using the location information to display relevant ads to the right audience.
10. Makes Your Content More Impactful
You can even use geofencing in your content, especially for video or audio. For instance, location can be used to activate relevant content because of the IP address from the mobile device.
As a result, customers will see this pop up on their device and, hopefully, consume your content. But it must be relevant and add value to your consumers.
You can also use geofencing to test your campaign by releasing different types of content and find out which one works best.
It gives businesses the freedom to test out the copy in the ad, the color palette, and see which deals or coupons are most effective.
That Is Everything to Know About Geofencing
Now you know the answer to "what's geofencing?" and the major benefits of this new technology.
Geofencing lets you communicate to customers when they are nearby, which improves your chances of driving sales. Be creative with your push notifications and personalize them, so they are more effective.
And remember, avoid spamming customers; otherwise they won’t engage. Good luck on your geotargeting marketing!
Did you find this article on geofencing helpful? If so, check out our other posts on everything from SEO to Digital Marketing.
Did you know that nearly 80 percent of consumers search for local businesses online?
This might not come as a surprise, as chances are that you've probably googled something like "sushi restaurants near me" or "touristic attractions near me" before.
However, as a business owner, are you doing everything you can to improve your local SEO? Is your online presence optimized for potential customers in your area to easily find you?
If not, today's article on local search engine optimization is for you. Discover five essential local business SEO tips!
1. Create (and Optimize) a Google My Business Account
By creating a Google My Business account and making sure to complete it with all your updated business details (including website, phone number, address, and email), you'll gain more visibility in Google's SERPs and, hopefully, rank higher on Google Maps.
To optimize your account:
- Reply to reviews, including your location and business name in your comment
- Choose an accurate and relevant category
- Make sure your details are consistent online
2. Encourage Happy Customers to Post Reviews Online
Once you have a complete and optimized Google My Business account, it's time to do what you can in order to get more Google reviews from your happy customers.
After all, consumers are a lot more likely to invest in a certain product or service once they see that other people have had a positive experience with it!
To encourage your customers to leave a review, remember to:
- Directly ask for a review once you close a sale
- Reward consumers who leave a review
- Send follow-up emails after someone buys one of your products or services
3. Create Location Pages for Your Website
This tip is particularly important if your business has more than one location.
Without ever duplicating content, create one page for each location, including not only the address and phone number, but also specific information like your schedule, parking information, customer testimonials, and active promotions.
4. Publish Local Content
If you have a business blog, publishing local content is an easy, yet effective way of improving your local SEO.
This can be as simple as publishing posts about local news that are relevant to your business and industry.
Otherwise, you can look for local keywords and include them in the type of article you've already been writing. As an example, if you were a plumber in NYC, instead of writing a piece called "How to find a good plumber", you could go for "How to find a good plumber in NYC".
5. Use Online Business Directories
We've all used Yelp, Foursquare, or Reddit to find products or services in our location and, as a business owner, that's an opportunity you can't miss.
Make sure to create listings in online business directories, both general and industry-specific, and make sure to include:
- Updated name, address, and contact details
- A brief business description including local keywords
- Links to your website and social media pages
The Importance of Local Business SEO
Local business SEO is now more important than ever and, by implementing the tips we listed today, you can successfully improve your local rankings and help people in your area find your store online.
If you enjoyed this article and you'd like to read more about digital marketing, keep exploring our blog! Visit the SEO, Marketing, and Blogger Outreach sections for more local business search engine optimization strategies.
Are you trying to find a way to get more traffic to your website? It isn't always a great idea to throw money at the problem with paid ads. When 46% of searches on Google are for local businesses, it pays to do a little work to rank higher on search engines.
If you want to learn how to advertise your business on the internet best, it pays to know the benefits of local SEO. Keep reading to learn five SEO benefits you will see when optimizing for local.
1. Get Listed in Maps
People who search for local services do things a little differently. People don't always go for the best option there is. They look to see what businesses are closest to their current location.
You'll miss out on this if you don't show up on the Google Maps listing. When you verify your company with Google My Business, you'll be able to show up for the search results in Google Maps.
2. Increase Visibility With Citations
Ranking on local search results works a little differently than regular search results. On a standard search page, Google uses backlinks to determine how much authority a website has. For a local search result, citations are also taken into account.
Increasing your citations also helps boost your visibility on other platforms. You'll be able to drive more traffic to your website when you start showing up on local web directories.
3. Rank Higher on Search Results
You aren't only looking to rank on maps on search engines. There are a lot of keywords out there that don't have to do with specific products. Your customers are going to be searching for these topics too.
Adding SEO optimized content to your website will help you rank for these keywords. You'll be able to get more web traffic and prove that you have expertise in your industry. Make sure to find out more about how SEO will increase your web rankings to see how to get it done.
4. Increase Your Reputation
People aren't only looking for information when they search online. They're looking for popular businesses that people trust. If you have a system to generate great reviews, people who find your business will be able to see what others have to say.
When you rank higher on Google, more people will be able to see your positive reviews. You'll be able to generate more buzz for your company when you show others that you provide excellent service.
5. Learn What Customers Search For
Have you ever wondered what people searching for products and services look for when typing questions on Google? If you work on increasing your rankings, you'll be able to figure that out.
Google Webmaster Tools provides you an overview of the keywords people use to find your website. When you provide keyword-rich content on your website, you'll be able to see the exact questions people use to reach your pages.
The Benefits of Local SEO Can't be Understated
Not every business has the budget to keep pumping money into online advertising. For those businesses, local SEO is an option that will bring new customers using free traffic from Google. There are more benefits of local SEO out there, so start your SEO campaigns to see the results for yourself.
Once you start seeing SEO results, you can start focusing on other online marketing campaigns. Read more of our blog to learn what marketing methods give you the best bang for the buck.
