Thursday, March 14, 2024

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Things to Consider While Choosing an Online Business Directory

Be it placing an order for a dessert or learning the ways of making it, everything is available at the disposal of humankind at a click today. Be it searching the buses between Delhi and Chandigarh or knowing a medical shop near you, Google does it all. Online surfing has made life extremely easy going for the client. However, this has opened a new domain for businesses to work upon, which is a business directory such as Dubai Local. In simple terms, business listing is the activity of making your business popular enough in the online world that when one searches for a service you offer, your business is listed above others so that more and more people trust and access it.

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Why do Online Business Listings?

The Internet has knitted the world together rather inextricably. Almost all spheres of life are now extremely interdependent and linked. In such a connected world, it has become the need of the hour to approach life with an all-encompassing perspective. Earlier businesses relied on the owner-client relationship and the quality of their goods and services. However, 21st-century businesses require to make their mark in the online world. While the older principle of goodwill works efficiently even today, the need to expand the market base and fight rivals has forced businesses to be registered online in directories such as Dubai Local.

Another reason for the need to be listed online is the ‘near me’ query, a recent addition to the search engines. Mostly handy because of Google Maps, searching places with a near me filter helps one locate the availability of the resources in his/ her vicinity. You can find a vegetarian restaurant in Kolkata, even if you have never been to the city before. Now, if you are a restaurant owner, being listed on Google and other search engines will put your restaurant in the direct eyes of the consumer when they browse for the category. Ranking higher on the algorithm is also required. Hence, an online business listing is required to reach out to people who you do not know at all.

Also Read: It’s High Time You Employed Tech to Make Your Business Smart

How to do the Listing?

Dubai Business Directory LIsting

The prerequisite for the job at hand is NAP, i.e., name, address, and phone number. These are the basic information pieces that should remain consistent throughout the course of your journey as a business for better reach. Next, you need a well-curated website that explains what you do in the best way possible. Both short and long descriptions (up to 50 and 250 characters each) should be ready beforehand. Social media presence across platforms will be an added feather to the cap. Try to spread your links far and wide. More and more positive reviews of the business posted online would be highly appreciated, both by the customers as well as the search engine.

After all of this is done, develop a local citation or outsource the job, register yourself with good data aggregators, and rope in third-party outsourcing to expand your consumer base.

The last three steps mentioned above are rather tricky and as has been mentioned also need third-party intervention. Hence, one needs to be highly attentive when choosing an online business listing. You can do so by keeping the following points in mind.

The Exposure Offered

The directory that will be listing your business has to be a trusted one like Dubai Local. While there are free directories available too, one must practice caution when you have to pay for them. Most directories would be charging some amount as they help propagate businesses further. Abysmally low or exorbitantly high charges both fall under the suspicious category. One charging a meager amount might not have a wide reach. While nothing can be said with equal certainty for the high-end, overpaying is never a good option. They might just be fooling you and charging you disproportionately even if they provide a good impetus to business. The key to reaching the perfect directory is to have a comparison. Make sure the payment made gives you returns. In case your business is heavily practiced in a region, subscribing to a premium account can give you the opportunity to make it to the top 3 or 5 list of the directory.

The Host to Be Chosen Wisely

Quality should be the last thing to compromise in a business. With respect to listing in Dubai Local, make sure that the website (the host) you choose has great presentation skills. It should look professional and yet creative. Navigation across links and pages should be smooth. Make sure that the site is compatible with both mobile and laptop screens. Keep a check with the editor of the sites regarding changes and updates. Security of the website should also be ensured by the IT head.

Advertising

Pay detailed attention to the advertising of the business. If you are a medium to big business, register your business across all social media platforms as well. Take full advantage of the vast online network and make your presence felt. Include links to the website at every possible stage and make people aware of it. Offline advertising can also be done provided your expenses allow. Knowing the marketing plan of the directory that is hosting you can also help gain ground. You might become their business partner.

Measure the Site

You should research the viewership of the website before investing in it. Measuring the success of the website/ the directory will help you know what it has to offer to you as a client. Know how many new and unique customers visit the site on an average monthly. Keep an eye on the new launches in the market as well. While their figures might not be high initially they can be promising in the future. Exercise your discretion to the fullest.

Know where the traffic is coming from. Small to medium businesses would have higher chances of benefitting from a local directory such as Dubai Local as their audiences will be region specific. Knowing the average time spent by each person on the website will also give you an idea of how crisp the description needs to be.

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These were some of the guiding principles and factors that can help you crack a business listing that is just the best for you. However, other reasons often factor in as well. Give your business enough time, envision the scale of its growth, and act accordingly.

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