A Brand New Reason Why Your Small Business Needs Facebook

One of the most common questions we get asked by small business owners is "Why is it important for my business to have a Facebook page?"  Up to this point our answer included:

1.  It helps the visibility of your business on search engines like Google.
2.  It's a great way to engage your existing customer base.

Now we can add another huge new reason: Facebook is on its way to becoming a search engine for local businesses.

Yesterday, Facebook updated the Nearby feature in its iPhone and Android apps to enable users to find nearby local businesses by name or by category. Results will be ranked by ratings, recommendations, check-ins and "Likes".

Facebook is entering the local search arena.

Only those businesses that have a Facebook Page will be listed, creating a powerful new incentive to create a Facebook Page.

It’s only mobile (for now). And there are no ads planned for the immediate future, but you can imagine that will change in all probability over time and we believe that the goal is to compete with search engines like Google and review sites like Yelp.

Below is an official statement from Facebook as well as a few tips for local businesses:

Local businesses have always relied on word-of-mouth recommendations to gain new customers and grow their sales. Whether they’re a new restaurant in the neighborhood, a favorite salon, or a trusted tailor, small businesses often depend on social endorsements to get discovered.

And recommendations from friends become even more important when people are on the go. In fact, 150 million people visit Pages on Facebook every day globally. And in the US, over half of visitors to Facebook Pages are visiting them from a mobile device. 

Today we're pleased to announce updates to Nearby, accessed via the Facebook mobile app: now, in addition to showing which friends have checked in at a particular place, Nearby helps people discover places near them based on their friends’ recommendations. People can explore by category (ex: restaurants or hotels); connect to businesses directly from their phone (by liking, checking in, calling, or getting directions); rate the places they visit via a five-star system; and share their recommendations with friends.

If you have a Page on Facebook with a location, your business now has another way to be discovered by Facebook's 600 million-plus mobile consumers.

When someone looks for a place, the results that appear in their Nearby list are based on things like their friends' recommendations, ratings, check-ins, and likes. If you're a business with a physical location, here's what you can do to ensure your place is more easily discoverable in Nearby:

• Update your Page to include all of your basic information, including your address, store hours, phone number, and details about your business in the About section
• Update your category to make sure you appear when people are looking for your specific type of business
• Encourage your consumers to like, check into, rate, and recommend your place

Based on this news, there has never been a better time for a small business to contact Network For Solutions.  We will make sure your business is ahead of the curve and utilizing the Internet the right way!