Getting a listing management tool for the online-facing part of your brand is important to long-term success, especially if your company has locations in different parts of the country or even the world. Employing the right local listing management tool not only ensures easy deployment of new locations online but also increases consumer trust and builds an effective online reputation. So what do you need from a listing management tool to perfectly execute your online strategy?
- Provides accuracy and consistency
- Monitors local rivals
Listing Management Tool Feature 1: Provides Accuracy and Consistency
Online listings data shows that 74% of in-store shoppers look for the following information before going to the store:
- The closest store near them
- Locations
- In stock near them
- Hours
- Directions
- Contact information
Some of these pieces of information are readily available on each of your brand listings, and it’s important to keep them updated and accurate. A slight typo or outdated information not only means a lost customer, but long-term distrust from future customers who know about the inaccuracy of your listing.
The right local listing management tool, however, can easily solve this problem. Through a single platform, you can easily change multiple listing data points across various locations at the same time. Installing a new phone system? Change the number across all brands. Changing hours to reflect an annual holiday? Easily update the store hours for select branches.
The software should also tell you when there is inconsistent data. If a new listing shows up, you can correct its information with just a few clicks and ensure full consistency across all listings. Having the power to easily change listing information across multiple locations in just a few clicks ensures a tight control on online brand reputation and the customer experience before consumers even walk through your doors.
Listing Management Tool Feature 2: Monitors The Competition
Consistency and accuracy should be balanced out with competitor analysis for a comprehensive listing management tool, especially on a local level. Showing up near the top of search engine results pages is a must for better customer acquisition. By utilizing a local search rank checker tool you can easily see how each location fairs against the competition down the street or a few blocks away.
What’s even more important than knowing your local SEO standing is the actionable insight gained from these findings. Knowing which keywords to optimize for future content (such as articles and social media posts) are key to long term success and staying on top of the competition.
Conclusion
The ultimate goal of using a listing management tool is to establish trust with the customer before they even walk in the door. Keeping an eye on all listing information and quickly updating them when necessary keeps your brand in the running while the consumer conducts research. You can further influence their purchasing decisions with the right SEO strategy, which also stems from constant competitor analysis.
These two ideas seem like opposite elements in brand strategy, but they couldn’t be more related. Exceeding expectations, putting up a strong online brand, and monitoring the competition are all part of reputation management. With a strong local listing management in your reputation management software stack, you can make sweeping changes that propel the company to success in just a few clicks.
