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These websites allow you to list your business for free. Here’s why you should list your business in online directories and how to do it effectively.
In the digital age, it’s essential to ensure your company’s name, contact details, and services are available on numerous listing websites. Major platforms such as Yelp and Google Business Profile are listing websites with significant visitor traffic, making them ideal spots to showcase your business.
Although it’s crucial to have your business on these high-traffic listing websites, smaller listing platforms can also serve as avenues for your company to attract new clientele. Many listing websites don’t charge to post your company’s details. Enhancing your company’s online presence on these listing websites could unlock your next significant business opportunity.
Are you eager to amplify your business’s brand awareness and get featured on the most relevant listing websites and search engines? Here’s a compilation of the top 50 listing websites where you can showcase your business for free. After the list, you’ll find some tips to optimize your profiles on listing websites.
Expand your business reach with Yelp. After adding or claiming your business on this listing website, you can keep your page updated, respond to feedback, view analytics, and leverage advanced promotional tools.
Interact with your audience on Google without any charges. This listing website offers more than just a business profile. Your free profile lets you connect with customers easily across Google Search and Maps.
Add your business to Bing for free and help online customers discover your business, or claim your profile if Bing has already listed your business. For businesses with multiple branches, Bing offers a bulk upload tool.
Listing your business on prominent listing websites can significantly boost your online visibility. Each of these listing websites may have its own unique process, but the general steps to get your business listed are often similar. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the process on most listing websites.
It’s possible that your business already has a placeholder page on some listing websites. They are often incomplete profiles that either the platform itself or a user has created to ensure your business has some presence on their directory.
If your business doesn’t yet have a profile on the listing website in question, making one is easy. “Businesses can create free accounts and list their business on free listing websites by providing information such as name, website, address, phone number, social media handles and contact persons,” said Shraddha Mehta, founder of the digital marketing agency Skysail Digital. “Typically, most [websites] require a phone number to validate, while some…ask for a video record to prove the existence and legitimacy of a business.”
After claiming or creating your business page on listing websites, it’s crucial to provide comprehensive and up-to-date information. That ensures potential customers get a full picture of your business. Include your address, phone number, services offered, hours of operation, and any other contact methods.
Adding that information shouldn’t be a one-time affair. According to Karl Blaza, founder of the digital marketing company G10 Digital, you should regularly review the information.
“Something that’s often overlooked is keeping on top of NAP (name, address, and phone Number),” Blaza said. “It’s important that these are consistent across the internet, so update them across listings if they ever change. If it is too time-consuming or you’re unsure where you’re listed, you can hire companies to do it on your behalf.”
Given the open nature of the internet, it’s conceivable for someone to falsely claim your business profile on listing websites. To prevent that, the platforms require a verification step that ensures you are the legitimate owner of the business. Typically, that involves receiving a unique code via text, email, or a phone call, which you then input on the listing website to confirm your identity.
To maximize the benefits of the listing websites, follow the checklist below. It will ensure that your presence on the platforms enhances your visibility for mobile and local internet searches.
Your business’s name, address, and phone number should be the exact same on all listing websites. That’s especially true if you change any of your basic information.
“Businesses should make sure [their] information is accurate and update it over time as it changes or evolves,” Mehta said. “For example, if you change your website or add more services to your business, then make sure to update the descriptions on directory listings.”
On listing websites, let potential customers understand your business better with a comprehensive description. Highlight your company’s history and the products or services you offer.
One of the greatest advantages of listing websites is the ability to link to your business’s website. It has the potential to drive massive amounts of traffic to your site. Since many users access listing websites via mobile, ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Otherwise, you risk losing potential customers.
Many people search for a business’s phone number, address, or hours of operation. Be sure to include items such as your hours of operation, menu, or calendar of events on your local profiles.
On listing websites, visual media items such as photos and videos have a much higher conversion rate than standard text. In general, video can enhance your marketing strategy. Make sure you enrich your profiles on the platforms with relevant images and videos.
Reviews on listing websites send signals of confidence to search engines and mark engagement from customers. Always motivate your customers to leave reviews on listing websites and make it a point to respond to the reviews.
Blaza suggested going beyond reviews and building on your listing with other additions. “If a listing drives traffic, keep it updated with [your] latest products or case studies, and encourage reviews,” Blaza said. “A well-looked-after listing will stand out compared to a poorly maintained one.”
Below are some of the numerous benefits of registering your business on listing websites, in addition to social media platforms and review sites.
In the pre-internet era, businesses relied on phone books, newspaper ads, and other forms of traditional offline marketing and advertising to make themselves known. In the online era, however, no marketing plan is complete without maximizing your online presence. It’s essential to establish a business profile on every conceivable listing website, review platform, and social media site.
Building as many listings as possible “creates footprints on the internet about the presence of a business and its digital and physical information,” Mehta said. “Users are able to look up and find businesses via these listings. These listings also get indexed in search engines and often appear in results when users search for services or businesses.”
Local SEO is important to the success of businesses that target an audience in a specific geographic region. Without a proper presence on listing websites, your business may fail to reach a potential customer who could travel minutes from their home to get what they need from your company. To ensure your business stands out locally, prioritize its presence on the listing websites mentioned.
“Listing sites send some local SEO signals to Google, which will help boost visibility for local queries,” Blaza said.
Want potential customers to know when your store is open, how to get in touch, what services you provide, and how much other customers trust you? Listing websites are instrumental in disseminating such crucial information. They allow businesses to share hours of operation, contact information, and addresses on platforms where users can search for businesses based on specialty, location, and ratings.
Even customers who ultimately choose another business over yours or don’t click on your link will see your business’s name on the listing websites. That cements your brand’s reputation in potential customers’ minds ― especially if your ratings are high ― and increases the chances that they’ll choose you in the future.
If you’re looking to get noticed by a wider audience or reach members of your local community, a great (and free) place to start is listing websites. The 50 sites listed above give you an effective way to improve your chances of being found by your audience online. Plus, they’re all free to use, so the risk is minimal — and the return on investment could be sky high.