Finishing Touches, Operations, Sales & Marketing, V5I6

Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore Google

According to one study, more than 94 percent of searches online are performed on Google or a Google-owned platform. 

94 percent! How is that possible?

In addition to its immensely popular search engine, Google also owns the most-used map platform (Google Maps), video service (YouTube), web browser (Chrome), ad platform (Google Ads), and mobile operating system (Android). 

What can you do as a local shed company to stand out online and get in front of the right customers?   

KNOW WHO YOUR COMPETITION IS ON GOOGLE 

As a shed builder or dealer, you likely have a defined service area. This may be determined by your locations or display lots, or maybe by how far you will deliver a structure. You also know your competition—the other companies that build or sell sheds and outdoor structures within your territory. 

But when we talk about your competition online, the discussion gets broader very quickly. Online, your potential customers aren’t only choosing between you and a few other local builders. Instead, they are seeing ads for a bigger shed builder from the next state over, listings for the big box stores, and ads from Wayfair, Amazon, and other online-only stores. 

National brands like Walmart, Home Depot, and Wayfair have millions to spend on marketing and advertising, which may make it seem like smaller, local shed builders don’t have a chance to compete online. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to make your mark and help your audience find you online.

MAKE YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT ON GOOGLE

First, highlight your “localness.” Your localness is a unique advantage you have over the big box stores and online competitors. You can position yourself as your community’s local structure expert, with years of experience helping your neighbors add storage or functional space to their property.

Your physical location is a great advantage over the online competition. Local customers should see a benefit to visiting your location, seeing your structures in person, and being able to easily reach a local person with questions or customer service issues. 

One of the easiest ways to highlight your localness is your Google My Business profile. This profile, which is free to claim and update, shows up whenever someone near you does a relevant search online. Once you claim your profile, you can add photos and videos, update hours, and even create social posts to entice people to visit your location.

Tips for embracing your localness:

  • Claim and update your Google Business profile
  • Highlight featured projects online
  • Host an open house
  • Sponsor local events 
  • Announce inventory or display lot sales

Another way to stand out from the bigger players is to fully engage with your audience. The big retailers have thousands of stores and plenty of customers, so it is hard for them to pay attention to a single customer. You, however, can give more time and attention to every single current and potential customer who interacts with your business.  

This starts with proper business etiquette: making sure that your team answers the phones and emails promptly and courteously. Nothing can turn a potential customer away faster than rude staff or not responding to calls or emails. The average business takes 44 hours to respond to an email. 

According to research from Keap, a small business CRM software company, customers say that speed is the most important thing to them; 44% of customers cite a lack of follow-up as the reason they ultimately didn’t buy. Simply replying to emails and calls quickly can make a significant difference in sales.

Online reviews are another way to engage with current and potential customers. According to one study, 91 percent of 18- to 34-year olds trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Make sure you are asking customers to leave you a review on your Google profile. 

You should also respond to each review online, saying thanks to positive reviews and trying to improve the situation for a negative one. 

Tips for engaging with your audience:

  • Answer phones and emails promptly 
  • Ask for online reviews from every customer
  • Respond to online reviews
  • Encourage comments and questions online

Next, invest in hyper-focused digital ads. Google generates revenue primarily through ads either in its search results or on websites across the internet. Google’s ads, along with ads on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms, are a great way to introduce your company to local buyers who are in the market for a shed.

Unless you have millions of dollars to spend on advertising, you don’t want to get in a bidding war with the big national brands. Instead, you need to be strategic about how and where you advertise online. 

One of the best features of digital advertising is targeting users based on their location. All the ad platforms allow you to show ads to very specific geographic audiences, as narrow as a 1-mile radius. This type of targeting means you can show ads to people within a specific neighborhood—complete with a unique message to match their area. 

A note of warning: It can be easy to waste advertising dollars on ads that are shown to the wrong audience. Be intentional about where you advertise, your message, and even the discount or call to action within the ad. 

Measuring campaign results is crucial. Key data points can include traffic to your website, the number of leads, or an increase in foot traffic to your location. Measuring results will help you make informed decisions about which ad campaigns increase sales for your business, not just cost you money.

Tips for advertising online:

  • Target your advertising campaigns geographically
  • Create quality ads that stand out and draw attention
  • Measure how advertising affects orders or in-person visits

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

It’s easy to get lost in a sea of competitors (large and small) online. When you use the tools that Google provides, you can highlight your business’ strengths and target the right people with ads that encourage store or website visits.

You might be wondering how to get started. Claiming a Google My Business profile is a simple process that you can probably do on your own—maintaining the profile and keeping up with Google’s changes to the platform is another story. If you have a dedicated marketing person on staff, they can likely handle managing it. 

Running a targeted Google Ads account is a bit more specialized and might require some outside help from a marketing agency to make the most of your ad investment.

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October/November 2024