Over the years, the dependency of a local customer on local search sites has increased. In fact, the total number of U.S. local searches between June 2008 and June 2009 actually jumped by almost 31 percent and this is across different media platforms. According to a research by TMP Directional Marketing, in June 2009, 21.9 billion searches were registered.
Local search sites were and are still one of the most popular options for customers or internet visitors looking for locally based information or businesses. The usage of local search sites in the US has increased by a small margin since 2008. In fact, in 2008, the usage was 11 percent and by the end of the third quarter of 2009, it is 12 percent. Another interesting thing to note is that the yellow page websites have actually gained a lot of ground in 2009. Customers looking for business information have led to the increase in the usage of yellow page sites from 19 percent in 2008 to 21 percent in 2009. Although it is an increase of 2% but we are talking in millions!
According to Gregg Stewart, the President of 15miles, the interactive division of TMP Marketing, "Each media type plays an important role in the consumer purchase process. Buyers use numerous channels at different times and for different reasons."
Gregg Stewart also believes that there is a growing demand for more and more information related to local businesses and this is uniform across different search platforms. The two most popular media platforms is the internet and mobile and they are playing an important role in creating several opportunities for local or national advertisers. These platforms are the best ways to reach out to consumers in a meaningful way. According to Stewart, the only way for local marketers to reach out to their target audience is by thinking locally and focusing their advertising efforts on local marketplaces only.
According to a research, it has been noticed that almost 39% of all US consumers do their research online before actually making a buying decision. Most of the local consumers visit local websites first and then they either shop online or visit the local store to buy the product or services they require. According to the research only 17% of the local consumers conduct their research offline. Research also suggests that almost 83% of the local consumers contact businesses directly or offline. This includes 45 percent of the consumer contacting businesses through phone and 37% of the consumers actually visit the office or store in person.
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The above data clearly indicates that there is an increase in the usage of local search sites and mostly because it helps consumers in making an informed decision.
