by Reach Local
For today’s local businesses, having a robust online presence has become a necessity. But is your business up to speed on the demands for mobile marketing as well? Here are five mind-blowing stats about mobile every local business needs to know.
1) Smartphones have hit mainstream. One significant contributing factor in the rise of mobile marketing is the dramatic increase in mobile device usage across all demographic groups. In fact, according to a report by Pew Research, an estimated 58% of American adults now use a smartphone on a daily basis.
2) Time spent on mobile devices is on the rise. Not only do a majority of adults in the U.S. own a smartphone, but they use their mobile devices almost 3 hours daily. According to a report in GeekWire, Americans spend an average of 162 minutes on their mobile devices every day.
3) Mobile is outpacing desktop Internet use. Not only has mobile adoption grown, but it’s also changing how people use the web. Increased use of smartphones and tablets is revolutionizing the way consumers get information about products and services, as well as the way they make purchases. In fact, the majority of Internet usage no longer takes place on traditional computing devices such as desktops and laptops. According to a report from CNN, time spent on mobile applications exceeded desktop Internet usage for the first time this year.
4) Search, surf, and social media are popular mobile activities. Of time spent on mobile devices each day, people spend about 22.5% of their time using social media apps, with 17% spent on the Facebook app alone. Plus, people spend about 14% of their time using a web browser to search and surf the web.
5) Mobile searchers look for local businesses. According to one comScore report, 79% of mobile phone owners use their devices to conduct local searches.
6) Mobile searchers are looking at mobile maps for business information. The most important information that mobile searchers want to see about a local business on maps are their hours of operation (56%), special offers and coupons (37%), ratings and reviews (33%), products and services (26%), and the businesses’ website URL (24%).
7) Mobile searchers are also buyers. “Nearly 80 percent of local searches on mobile devices turned into purchases,” according to the comScore report, with about 76% of those purchases happening on the same day the user performed their local search.
When these facts are looked at together, it’s easy to see that having a robust, mobile-optimized online presence is essential for marketing your business to local customers. So how can you get started?

Bonus: 3 Tips to Boost Your Mobile Presence

1) Make Your Website Responsive
The foundation for online marketing for a local business is a sleek and modern website. But it’s not enough to just have a website that looks great on a traditional desktop computer. Today, it’s important to make sure you have a mobile-responsive site, meaning that it automatically adjusts to smaller screen sizes, such as the ones found on smartphones and tablets, while still retaining full functionality.
2) Use Mobile Advertising
Local businesses should also take advantage of cost-effective and highly targeted mobile advertising on platforms such as Facebook and Google, both of which are industry leaders in mobile advertising.
3) Claim & Manage Business Listings
Making sure your business listings are managed, claimed, and up-to-date on top sites such as Yelp, Yahoo!, and Citysearch will help your business get found in mobile search, apps, and maps.

We are all aware that the most dominant search engine out there today is Google. But what would you say is the second largest? Yahoo? Bing? Would you be surprised if I told you YouTube? Most of you are probably not surprised but for those of you this is news to, also note that YouTube is owned by Google. Video content has repeatedly proven to be one of the best ways to boost search engine rankings. Adding video requires implementing a common-sense approach that produces relevant content. When creating content, think like a user. What do you find interesting and useful? When creating metadata, think like a search engine. What do consumers search for when they search for products or services like yours? What are the most important steps to take to optimize your video content for search engines? Here are some tips to go by.

1. When creating video look to create video with high user engagement. Think quality and timeliness of the video to your audience.
2. Relevancy is key. Search engines are built on that very principle.
3. Find keywords that resonate with your audience as well as with search engines. Analyze other similar websites, channels and blogs for specific keywords. Add the keywords to the video title and description.
4. Provide a compelling next step with a clear call to action.
5. Keep your video fresh!
6. Submit a video sitemap. Make it easy for Google and other search engines to crawl your site to verify that videos do exist.
7. Leverage your video content. The more content you have on your pages that can be ranked the more traffic you can drive to your site.
8. Track results. Use analytic tools such as YouTube Analytic Basics to monitor your video and channel performance.
9. Focus on best-practice video optimization. Don’t take short-cuts.

As video and content marketing become even more prevalent it is crucial for businesses to clearly describe their websites content. Consumers need to easily sort through the abundance of online information.

It seems like every time we blink, Google has another search algorithm update for us to chew on. The latest was a pretty major update to their local search results that Search Engine Land has nicknamed “Pigeon.” This update affects both browser searches and Google Map searches and may cause local businesses to experience either an increase or decrease in their organic search traffic. Here’s what’s in the latest update and what you need to know so your business can continue to get discovered in Google search.

What’s in the Update?

Previously, when a user searched for a business type and location, Google returned a pretty long list of local map results, known as the “local pack” or “7 pack” due to the number of map results being shown. But for many local business types, Google is now moving these lower on the results page, showing fewer Google Maps results, or removing them altogether, replacing those Google listings with other local directories instead. A search for an optometrist and an apartment in my local area show that local directories – not just Google business listings – are being featured prominently in the search results. The Google update is also impacting results for searches made within Google Maps as well. For instance, some sources are reporting that Google listings that are improperly formatted are being penalized in the search results, with some of them being removed altogether. This means that now more than ever, it’s critical to make sure ALL your local listings are up to date, accurate, and consistent.

Your Presence on Local Directories Is Critical

No matter what industry you’re in, there are online directories that you need to be listed on so searchers can find you. And now, Google is featuring those sites much more prominently in local search results – often higher than its own Google+ Local listings. Which means if you were relying on your Google listing alone to get found by local searchers, you need to broaden your approach. With this Google search update, general listing sites like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Superpages.com, are just a few that have seen higher visibility on Google search results. In addition, many industry-specific directory sites like Urbanspoon, TripAdvisor, OpenTable, Realtor.com, Apartments.com, Healthgrades, and more have also seen heightened prominence for local searches for their respective verticals. That means you need to make sure your business is listed on all the sites that are relevant to your business type and that your information is accurate and consistent across them all. Smart Tip: Conduct a few private or incognito searches for your business type and location to see which directory sites are showing up, and claim or update those business listings first. But, even if there are sites that aren’t surfacing on the first page or two of Google results, make sure you claim and optimize them anyway. Google still looks at consistency between all your local “citations” as an SEO signal when determining your business’ search results.

Accurate Google Listings Are Still Incredibly Important

Just because Google appears to be de-emphasizing its own listings in the on-page search results doesn’t mean they are going away altogether. For example, for many business types, such as auto, the organic results for browser searches have largely remained the same, prominently featuring Google local results. And the information in your Google+ Local profile is still critically important to Google, as it serves as an anchor point for your local business information – and it shows up in many other places, such as Google Maps native mobile and browser searches. One of the reported outcomes of this local search update is that Google may be penalizing local listings that are formatted incorrectly – specifically those that don’t list a physical address. This primarily applies to local services businesses that don’t have a central physical location, such as cleaning services, landscapers, or plumbers. Often, these types of businesses will leave the address field blank when setting up their listing on Google rather than using the recommended approach of adding a primary physical address such as the proprietor’s home address and then adding service areas. For service businesses on Google My Business, Google recommends adding your address information, then selecting the option for “I deliver goods and services to my customers at their location”. Google will then show the correct address setting based on your selection and type of business. Now, if you don’t list a physical address at all, Google may not even show your business in the results, so make sure this field is populated no matter what kind of business you are to avoid penalties or a missing Google Maps listing.

Smart Tip:

If you don’t have a physical location, you can add a residential address to your Google listing as long as you identify your business as a service business so Google will know what information to populate to local searchers. Regardless of your business type, it’s always a good idea to review your Google listing regularly to make sure it’s up to date. And if you don’t already have a Google listing, you can easily set one up using Google My Business.

As mobile marketing continues to grow, so do the ideas behind connecting the 300 million mobile phone users and Web browsers in the U.S. to the wide variety of technologies available now and in the very-near future. More than half of the population has a smart phone with estimates that U.S. consumers with a smart phone will double to 192 million by 2016.
According to a 2013 study by Google/Nielsen (Mobile Search Moments, March 2013) on the drivers behind mobile search, 77 percent of all people use smart phones as their preferred method of finding information while at home or work, even if a computer is available, because smart phones are simply more convenient. The study also found that 45 percent of all mobile searches are “goal-oriented and conducted to help make a decision.” In fact, three out of four mobile searches triggered a follow-up action such as a visit to a store or even a purchase.
If you do not have mobile web design or are planning on it in the very near future, you are putting yourself at a great disadvantage. If your company depends on its website to bring in new business, including a mobile-optimized website in your marketing mix before the end of the year should be your priority. In a survey of client-side marketers worldwide, 30 percent of respondents listed mobile optimization as a top priority for 2013, with 43 percent stating mobile optimization was the most exciting digital opportunity for them this year.
There are a number of mobile solutions available. What you chose to do should be based on the “performance aspect” of your site – who your target audience is, what is the desired action and how you want your site to function to facilitate a user-friendly experience while generating the greatest ROI.
So what is Responsive web design? It is a website designed to fit on tablets, smart phones, and desktops including today’s large desktop screens. Have you ever pulled up a website on your smart phone and it was just a very tiny version of what you would see on your desktop? This is not a responsive website. Or if it was, it left out the key point of adjusting “gracefully.” A responsive website looks good no matter whether you’re looking at it on a phone, tablet, or desktop.
One of the current challenges is the ever-evolving technology behind smartphones. Smartphones typically have to download and sift through all the information even if it’s irrelevant to what will be displayed, which is the primary reason that responsive websites tend to be slow to load on mobile devices, instantaneously killing user experience and causing poor conversion.
Ravi Pratap, CTO of MobStac, notes, “With adaptive delivery, the most significant difference is that the server hosting the website detects the devices making requests to it, and uses this information to deliver different batches of HTML and CSS code based on the characteristics of the device that have been detected.”
This approach allows the server to optimally render pages and enhance or remove functionality based on the capabilities detected.
You might wonder if you’re too late. No, you’re not, because in all likelihood all your competitors are late to the game as well. Most businesses lag behind the cutting edge by at least a year when it comes to such things. 2013 turned out to be the year when companies and industries began getting behind responsive and mobile design.
So why does all of this matter? Because mobile design is better, and everyone else is doing it. If you use a tool like Google Analytics on your website you can look at the stats regarding mobile users and gauge how urgent the matter is for your company.
More importantly, not only are consumers browsing with their smart phones, but they are also making decisions and assumptions about your business. A poor mobile experience will negatively impact how a consumer perceives your company. A survey conducted by Google confirms that:

– 75% of users prefer a mobile-friendly
– 96% of consumers say they’ve encountered sites that were clearly not designed for mobile devices
– 61% of users said that if they didn’t find what they were looking for right away on a mobile site, they’d quickly move on to another site
– 79% of people who don’t like what they find on one site will go back and search for another site
– 50% of people said that even if they like a business, they will use them less often if the website isn’t mobile-friendly

While going with a mobile-friendly website can present challenges for website owners, without one your future online is going to be a challenge. If you’re not providing a mobile-friendly experience for your customers, they’ll leave and go to your competitor whose website is easier to use. The future is mobile. And we see people increasingly favoring their mobile devices over desktop computers. Moving forward it will be extremely critical that your website provides mobile users an easy-to-use experience. Having a mobile website is no longer a simply a nice feature, it is a necessity and literally impacts the growth of your business.

Central States Media netted numerous American Advertising Awards from the Peoria Ad Club, including a Judge’s Choice Award for the design of the website for Running Central. Central States Media also won several other awards including Gold Awards for the design and development of websites for Eureka College and Running Central and Silver Awards for the Illinois CancerCare branding campaign, “World Class Cancer Treatment”, and for the design and development of the mobile website for Running Central. “These awards help us recognize the contributions of our entire team, our clients, and their dedication to providing compelling creative,” states Ann Johnston, President, Central States Media. “We strive to become the driving force our clients need to solidify their customer relationships. We do this by implementing holistic and highly strategic marketing communications plans paired with our award-winning creative… all created for maximum impact.” Sponsored by the Peoria Ad Club, the local awards recognize creative excellence in advertising and design of promotional materials The awards were announced during the annual American Advertising Awards Gala held February 7, 2014 at the PAR A DICE Hotel in East Peoria.

Conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the American Advertising Awards are the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition. The local American Advertising Awards is the first of a three-tiered national competition. Concurrently across the country, local entrants vie for recognition as the very best in their markets. At the second tier, local winners compete against other winners in one of 14 district competitions. District winners are then forwarded to the third tier, the national ADDY Awards competition.

Our team is excited to show off our awards from the Illinois Society of Healthcare Marketing & Public Relations conference. We are so thankful to have such wonderful clients that help us do what we do!

Recognized for Total Ad Campaign, Social Media and Physician Referral/Recruitment Campaigns
Central States Media was recently honored by the Healthcare Advertising Awards, receiving 3 Merit Awards for its work with Proctor Hospital and Gailey Eye Clinic. This 30th annual awards event was sponsored by Healthcare Marketing Report.
“It is always an honor to have our team and our work recognized nationally,” said Ann Johnston, President, Central States Media. “However, having clients who allow us to develop compelling and creative advertising campaigns that achieve their marketing objectives is truly rewarding.”
Central States Media was recognized in the Total Ad Campaign with TV category for Peoria-based Proctor Hospitals First Care service line. The multi-channel campaign focused on the promotion of Proctor’s prompt care facilities. Central States Media was also recognized in two additional categories for its work with Gailey Eye Clinic, a multi-location vision care practice in Central Illinois The first category, Social Media, focused developed a Social Media campaign that focused on a extending the Gailey brand to Facebook to allow patients more accessibility to information as well as more ways to interact with Gailey staff. The interactive Facebook page facilitated and increased patient interaction through custom tabs such as Ask Anna, Locations and Testimonials. In the Physician Referral and Recruitment category, Central States Media developed a multi-channel marketing campaign directing prospective physicians to community specific websites, promoting the aesthetics, amenities and lifestyles of the communities in which the practice is located.
Nearly 4,000 entries were received in this year’s competition, making the awards the largest healthcare advertising awards competition; and one of the 10th largest of all advertising awards. A national panel of judges were engaged in reviewing all entries based on creativity, quality, message effectiveness, consumer appeal, graphic design and overall impact.
The Healthcare Advertising Awards is the oldest, largest and most widely respected healthcare advertising awards competition. The awards are sponsored by Healthcare Marketing Report, the leading publication covering all aspects of healthcare marketing, advertising and strategic business development.

Ann Johnston, Partner & President of Central States Media announced today that Brynne Behringer has become a partner in the firm. Brynne has been with Central States Media for 4 years and has made significant contributions to the growth of the company. She is responsible for a number of key accounts and is well-versed in all aspect on marketing communications with an expertise in online media and solutions-based internet strategies.

Brian Buralli, Partner & Senior Project Manager for Central States Media, was recently appointed to the state Board of Directors of Illinois Society of Healthcare Marketing and Public Relations (ISHMPR). ISHMPR is a state-wide group of healthcare marketing and communications professionals dedicated to offering networking, recognition and educational opportunities for professionals in the fields of healthcare public and community relations, marketing and affiliated services.