7 Steps to Prepare You for The Local Search Bonanza. Evaluating an Opportunity.
At One Time Local Searches were reserved for services like City Guides and Online Yellow Pages. But the BIG 3 (Yahoo, Google and MSN) have all jumped into the Local Search Market. According to some Estimates Local searches represent 20-25% of all Internet Searches either implicitly or explicitly)
1 - Local Content
Create a web site with a few pages that contain local content.
- If you sell Life insurance in Missouri you may want to have information on how to file a Dispute with the Missouri Department of Insurance.
- If you have mortgages you may want to discuss a Missouri State Government Loan Program for low income first time Home Buyers in Missouri
- If you sell flowers you may want to discuss the best time to plant Roses in St Louis Missouri
2 - Local Yellow Pages
Get Yourself listed in the local online Yellow Pages both free and Paid. Currently much of the local Search results for the Local Searches perfromed by the Big 3 Come from Yellow Page Listings
3 - Local City Guides
Get Yourself listed in the local City Guides both free and Paid. Currently much of the local Search results for the Local Searches perfromed by the Big 3 Come from City Guides.
4 - Local Blog
Get Yourself a Local Blog. If you sell Insurance in Florissant MO call your Blog 'Insurance-In-Florissant-MO' Try and Post one or 2 times a Week with topics relevant to your Local Market. See Step 1 for Ideas on what to post.
5- About Us Page
Create an About us page on Your Web Site. Make sure your about us Page has your Name, Local Information and the Products or Services you offer. An About us page can be as simple as
- About US: Mike Makler located in Florissant Missouri in North St Louis County Missouri offers Financial Services such as Life Insurance, Annuities and Mortgages.
- One or more paragraphs with inforamtion about You or your company.
- Contact US:
Mike Makler
Florissant MO, 63031
314 398-5547
Place you contact Information on All of your web pages. At a bare minimum include
- Your Name
- Your Company Name
- A Brief Description of Services Offered
- City, State and Zip Code (Street Address Optional)
- Contact Information (E-Mail Address and/ or Phone Number)
7 - Article Resource Box
When You Submit Articles you should create a Resource Box that includes the same information from Step 6 above. You should also have a Link to your web page.
About the Author
Mike Makler
Get Mike's Newsletter Here http://ewguru.com/fin-news
Copyright © 2005-2006 Mike Makler
[You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated getarticles At Ewguru .Com]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
Business opportunities are often based on broad trends, such as:
�€� demographic, such as the "graying" of America (creating opportunities in health services, for example);
�€� sociological developments, like the "green" movement, with its emphasis on recycling and environmental sensitivity, and;
�€� cultural changes caused by changing economic conditions and technological developments.
Opportunities can also frequently be found in current and developing business trends such as:
�€� the globalization of business,
�€� the need for outsourcing created by downsizing, and
�€� the burgeoning service economy.
The Internet and rapid growth of
e-commerce have certainly created changes in the process of buying books and CD's, trading stock, delivering information, and bidding on collectibles. Where do you see the next process to be transformed in a major way by the Internet?
Let's do a brief case study in opportunity:
Neighborhood Coffee Shop
I live in the eastern section of town, which is growing rapidly, and food and business services are not quite keeping up. The "East" is fairly isolated from the rest of the city by water, an interstate highway, and an industrial park, forming a separate and distinct market. "People" are saying that the East desperately needs a good coffee shop. (Who are these people? Are they just in our immediate circle? Are they representative enough of the area to extrapolate from?)
Let us analyze some factors which indicate the opportunity potential of an idea:
* The "window of opportunity" is opening, and will remain open long enough.
We cannot be the only entrepreneurs that perceive these opportunities. How long before the need becomes compelling enough for others to jump in?
* Entry is feasible, and achievable with the committed principals.
Two friends want to be partners with me in a venture; one is managing a coffee shop across town, and willing to manage a startup. Between us, we could muster the capital for a coffee shop.
* The proposed venture has some competitive advantage.
We were among the first to locate in the new area, and are very active in the local business community. We know of an ideal site, and the building manager is a friend. She is willing to sub-contract the beverage and light-meal/dessert services the building provides tenants.
* The economics of the venture are "rewarding and forgiving."
Materials costs are a small percentage of revenues; site preparation and equipment costs are minimal.
* We can break even at what seems to be an easily achievable volume.
We may even want to consider a more upscale atmosphere based on what some say is the difference between a "coffeehouse" and a "coffee shop:" About two bucks a cup...
A coffee shop is a place to grab a quick bite and a cheap cup of coffee.
Eric Gerber of the MSN Network's Sidewalk suggests that "A coffeehouse is a place to wax philosophical - Mozart or Bach, Faulkner or Fitzgerald, Xena or Hercules? - while seeing just how complicated you can make a simple drink like coffee: double latte espresso-chino with half decaf Jamaican Blue Mountain dark roast, extra low-fat foam and a Frangelica drizzle, please."
The conditions for starting a neighborhood coffee shop seem favorable, but there must be more that we can do to critically evaluate the venture while improving our chances of success. That "more" is market research, and do not leave the business launch pad without it!
John B. Vinturella, Ph.D. has almost 40 years experience as a management and strategic consultant, entrepreneur, author, and college professor. For 20 of those years, Dr. Vinturella was owner/president of a distribution company that he founded. He is a principal in business opportunity sites jbv.com and muddledconcept.com, and maintains business and political blogs.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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