Dear Canyon Crest Creative Clients,
As CEO of Canyon Crest Creative, I’d like to thank you for your continued support during these unprecedented times. As business owners, we’ve all had to make significant adjustments to ensure we emerge from this more potent than ever. We’re rooting for you here at Canyon Crest Creative. That’s why I’m sharing some insights to help ensure your business stays strong this season and in the future.
Success online is about more than just a website.
An online presence starts there, but what good is a destination if nobody arrives? A few years ago, all a business had to do to get found online was get a website and do some SEO. Those days are long gone.
Your business needs to be found everywhere people search (Google, Facebook, Yelp, etc.). Once found, you need to inspire trust. The type that encourages people to do business with you without ever speaking to you. You need to back your site up with digital marketing tools and services that get you clicks, calls, and customers.
The good news is all of these tools and services are available to you – almost all are free with your monthly subscription.
We understand businesses don’t get a website just to have one. They get a site because they need more customers and revenue. This is why we partnered with Google to dissect, learn, and understand what it takes for a small business to succeed online with a limited marketing budget.
What We Learned
Our first step was understanding the modern consumer’s buying behavior and how they search, select, and buy online.
In the past, we’d go to Google, enter a search, and get a list of the most “trusted” websites on the first page. Every business wanted to be on the first page of Google, and many would hire SEO companies that tried to get them there via keywords, back-links, articles, geo, etc.
Over the past 24 months, Google has changed all of this. Now when you search for a local business, the first page of Google produces the following results:
- 33% of front-page real estate is Google Ads.
- 45% is Google My Business listings, showcasing highly rated businesses on a map.
- 22% are aggregators or directories, like Yelp and Foursquare, who prioritize their results based on reviews.
Although Google still leads when it comes to searches, today, searches also start on Instagram, Facebook, Yelp, and other directories – even map applications like Waze, Apple, and Uber.
The decision buying process has completely changed and no longer depends on websites. Consumers decide who they want to buy from before visiting a company’s website. The job of a website now is to close the customer
The Decision Buying Process Has Changed
As you can see above, a consumer doesn’t visit the website until they are in Step 6 and have already made their decision. The website is key for reinforcing their decision, but it’s not how the business was founded.
How We Applied It
We’ve spent the last 16 months building services and capabilities in addition to your website to ensure you’re found and chosen over your competitors. Here are a few of the solutions you need to take advantage of. Again, most are included in your subscription.
Local Listings
According to a July 2020 report by DataReportal, 81% of internet users aged 16 to 64 search online first for a product or service to buy. Since mid-2019, more internet searches have been conducted on mobile devices than on desktop computers, and when it comes to mobile search results, "nearby" merchants are prioritized. 46% of Google searches are “Near Me” queries – 75% of those queries end up selecting a result without scrolling the first page.
This is why listings on Google and other directories are crucial for finding you online. With our Local Listings Platform, you’ll automatically be listed on 40+ major search channels – everywhere people are searching. All your listings are synced with your current information (hours, pictures, offerings), and you can easily update all listings with a single click.
Reviews
Once you get found, consumers will compare you with your competitors. Few purchase decisions are made without first checking reviews. According to recent reports, 93% of consumers say online reviews impact their purchasing decisions.
Most people trust online reviews as much as they trust recommendations from friends. Today, online reviews are the new “word of mouth” marketing. With the internet in everyone’s pocket, it’s easier than ever to research before making a purchase, and what do people go to first? Reviews.
As a business, you can’t just hope customers will leave reviews. That doesn’t work, which is why we built Testimonial Collector. It allows you to request a review from every customer you serve. We’ve integrated with all major accounting and POS systems so you can send review requests automatically.
Just sit back and watch your reviews surpass all of your competitors.
Social Media
There are 3.96 billion active social media users. That's more than half of the world's population. In addition, over 40% of internet users aged 16 to 44 use social media when looking for more information about a company or product.
Social media allows businesses of all sizes to reach existing and potential customers. That said, creating a steady flow of relevant, attention-getting content takes time and money – too much for a small business.
Social 365 lets you use curated content that’s designed to engage followers. Our A.I. engine builds a calendar of scheduled posts up to one year in advance. Customize, modify, or add to the schedule anytime to share promotions or industry news. Get all this from a central application that shares to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other popular social media platforms.
Google Ads
Canyon Crest Creative is one of only 100 companies globally that Google has entrusted and selected for integration. We knew it was important for businesses to spend some money on Google Ads, but doing so is complicated and time-consuming.
We re-engineered the ad creation and management process into five easy steps with our Google Ads Manager. Now any small business can efficiently run Google Ads.
No need to pay an agency to do this for you. Take the funds you would spend on management and use them on advertising to focus on growth.
Reputation Management
When it comes to your online reputation, visibility is critical. 71% of consumers say they’re more likely to use a business that has responded to their existing reviews. And 95% of unsatisfied customers will return to a company if it solves an issue quickly and efficiently.
You can’t afford to miss anything online. One negative review that slips through the cracks can do much damage. You also need to be responding to positive reviews and engage with customers. We built Reputation Manager so you could see what people say about your business everywhere. We track 15+ platforms, so keeping your eyes on it all is easy. Respond to everything from one place and keep building social trust.
Competition Tracking
If you want to keep up with what’s going on in your industry, you need to be keeping tabs on your competitors. Whether it’s their great reviews, negative ones, sales, promotions, or new product launches, being in the know will help you strategize and win.
Our Competition Tracker tracks your top competitors on 15+ platforms online, so you always have the info you need to stay on top. Keep your pricing and product offerings competitive. Find out what your competitors are doing right so you can do it better.
At Canyon Crest Creative, our mission statement is, “We don’t succeed unless our customers succeed.” This is what drives us to ensure we know what it takes to make you win online.
Ready to start using these solutions? Call us at 208-749-9364 or send us a message via [Support Link], and one of our Success Managers will get you moving toward success.
I hope you continue to stay safe. Always remember that we’re here to help you.
Regards,
Jared Lauritsen
CEO
