Getting Your Business Found Online: A Simple Guide

Here's a scenario that happens every day: Someone in your town needs what you sell. They pull out their phone, type something like "plumber near me" or "best bakery in [town]," and... they find someone else. Not you.

Meanwhile, you're sitting there with 20 years of experience, great prices, and happy customers - but you're invisible online.

Let's fix that.

The Basics: Where You Need to Be

There are really only a few places that matter for most local businesses:

1. Google (The Big One)

When people search for local businesses, Google is where they go. If you're not showing up there, you're missing out on the majority of potential customers.

What to do: Claim your Google Business Profile at google.com/business. It's free and takes about 20 minutes.

Fill out everything:

• Your exact business name
• Address
• Phone number
• Website (if you have one)
• Hours
• Description of what you do
• Categories that fit your business
• Photos (storefront, inside, products, your team)

2. Your Website (If You Have One)

A website gives you a home base online. It doesn't have to be fancy - just accurate and easy to find.

What it needs:

• What you do
• Where you are
• How to contact you
• Maybe some photos and basic info about your services/products

If you don't have a website, don't panic. Plenty of local businesses do fine with just a Google Business Profile and maybe a Facebook page.

3. Facebook

For local businesses, Facebook is still useful. Not for going viral or getting likes - for letting people find you, see that you're real, and get in touch.

What to do: Create a business page (separate from your personal profile). Add your hours, location, photos, and keep it reasonably active.

4. Other Directories

Places like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific sites can help. Not critical for everyone, but worth claiming if you have time.

The key with all directories: Make sure your name, address, and phone number are exactly the same everywhere. Same spelling, same format. Google notices when things don't match.

What to Do First

If you're starting from zero, here's your priority list:

Week 1: Google Business Profile

• Claim it
• Fill out every field
• Add 10+ photos
• Write a real description (not just "we're a plumbing company" - explain what you do and why people choose you)

Week 2: Get Your First Reviews

• Ask 3-5 happy customers to leave a Google review
• Make it easy - give them a direct link or QR code

Week 3: Facebook Page

• Create it if you don't have one
• Add accurate info and a few photos
• Post once to show it's active

Week 4: Check Everything Else

• Google your business name and see what comes up
• Claim any listings that already exist
• Make sure your info is consistent everywhere

What About Instagram/TikTok/YouTube/etc.?

Here's the honest truth: You don't need to be everywhere. Pick one or two platforms and actually use them. Being active on Facebook is better than having abandoned accounts on five platforms.

If your business is visual (food, retail, beauty), Instagram might make sense. If it's not, don't force it.

Common Mistakes

Inconsistent information Your Google says you close at 6, your website says 7, your Facebook says 5. Customers don't know what to believe.

Claiming profiles and forgetting them An abandoned page with 2-year-old info looks worse than no page at all.

No photos Pictures make you real. A business with no photos feels like it might be a scam.

Ignoring reviews Someone takes time to leave a review and you say nothing? That's a missed opportunity.

Keeping It Up

Once you've set everything up, you need to maintain it. This doesn't take much time:

Weekly (10 minutes):

• Check for new reviews and respond to them
• Post something (a photo, an update, anything)

Monthly (15 minutes):

• Make sure your hours and info are still accurate
• Add any new photos you've taken

When things change:

• Update your hours immediately
• Update your services/products
• Add holiday hours ahead of time

The Bottom Line

Getting found online isn't complicated, but it does require doing a few things right:

1. Claim your Google Business Profile and fill it out completely
2. Get reviews from happy customers
3. Keep your information accurate and consistent everywhere
4. Stay reasonably active

That's it. You don't need to be a tech expert or spend hours a day on this. Just do the basics consistently.

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