Familiarity Breeds Contentment

Part of your online promotional strategy is to get you and your product, business or service known.  Sounds simplistic, right? 

It’s simply part of the buying process.  People do business with people they know, like and trust.

Promotion and having an online presence is one way of giving people the opportunity to get to know you. It’s more than just having your name online. Having a website is the minimum today.  You need to have a presence online.

How Do You Develop Your Online Presence?

Many businesses have no clue. They have a website and decide they have an online presence. It takes more than just product information to stand out in the information clutter online. Product information is offered by many of your competitors. 

What does the prospective customer want to know before they buy?    Does it matter if the product is made of super fantastic synthetic wonder substance and revolves 39 times a minute?  Probably not. It might be nice to know how many gigabytes the computer has or what size the trunk is on the car, but what does the prospective customer really want to know?

The smart business owner recognizes there are several stages to the buying process. The smart business owner provides information the buyer wants at each and every stage of the buying process.

In the beginning, people search for generalized information.  They are not really interested in a specific dealer or product, but more general information.  They may look for consumer reviews and ratings. Needed care and maintenance may also be a concern.

As they gain more information, the prospective buyer determines what they think they need for a product or service.  Now is the time the buyer starts seriously looking at potential sellers.

As the resource of information for the early part of the search your business stays in the top of mind consciousness of your prospective buyer. Your website or blog  gives them an insight into how you run your business.  Being the “go to” resource encourages the “getting to know you” part of the buying process.

This is why development of your online content is so important.  Your online information resources are your promotion agents online for you.  They are selling you and your business 24 hours a day.

So how can you promote yourself online?  Let’s follow the Murphy’s as they search for new tires.

The Murphy’s Move From Miami to Vermont

Take the Murphy’s, van owners, looking for new tires.  A job transfer is taking them from South Florida to Vermont. They’ve lived in Miami for the past 7 years.   It’s early fall and the Almanac says it’s going to be a snowy winter. The Murphy’s are concerned as the tires on the van now may not be suited for winter driving.

The Murphy’s have young children who will need transporting to and from school.  They are wondering if they need special tires to drive in snow and ice.

As busy people the Murphy’s first search is online to learn more about winter driving, snow tires and driving on ice.  Mr. and Mrs. Murphy go to a browser to find out more information.  Will they find your tire store as they search for information?

The Murphy’s search for more specifics narrowing their search more and more.  They now realize they want radial tires, specifically ones designed to grip the road in ice and snow.

How could you have reached the Murphy’s?  A website certainly helps which can describe your business, products and services.  You could add testimonials from satisfied customers.   On your website or blog you could have a “Frequently Asked Questions” section about tires and tire care.

If you have mechanics on staff who can explain things in people talk (minus the jargon) feature them in your blog our website.  Shoot a short video with your mechanic explaining the benefits of tire rotation.  This puts personality and a face on your business.

Including videos on how to check your tires for wear, the way to properly inflate your tire and how to change a tire could all be part of your website or blog. 

Being an information resource is a vital part of the promotion of your business.

The Murphy’s are becoming more and more familiar with the way you do business and what you have to offer.  As the Murphy’s learn more about tires from you they will become more and more content with the decision to buy from you.  Remember familiarity breeds contentment.