<\/a>While cruising through my copy of Inc. Magazine, I came across an online usage report that I thought was quiet interesting. The question was, how often do consumers use Google to find local businesses. Sure this includes pizza shops, car repair and home repair, but the trend is what caught my eye.<\/p>\n

In the survey, 53% of the respondents used Google once a month OR LESS<\/strong> to find a local business, while 47% used Google three to four times a month or more. Inside of that 47%, 17% used Google once a week while 14% used Google EVERYDAY to find a local business.<\/p>\n

Marketing to the numbers…<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As a marketing guy, something says to market to the majority. We realize that that 53% number is shrinking, probably a little more everyday. But from a budget standpoint, it makes sense to go online, where costs are contained because most online marketing requires the user to perform an action before you get charged a fee.<\/p>\n

In other words, your local paper or direct mail shop is going to charge you for eyeballs regardless if anyone takes an action to reach you, whereas a PPC campaign can drive many more INTERESTED people to your virtual door for a much lower cost.<\/p>\n

Where to spend? <\/strong><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a great question…and each answer is like a snowflake to you the reader. What might work in your market may not work in another, and one contractor may be building a solid business using PPC, while another can\u2019t stand it.<\/p>\n

The question is, with such a fairly even split, I want to ask you not what you are using, but what is actually working today to bring in new clients or customers?  Tell me and your hammer-swinging brothers and sisters below in the comments, and don\u2019t be shy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While cruising through my copy of Inc. Magazine, I came across an online usage report that I thought was quiet interesting. The question was, how often do consumers use Google to find local businesses. Sure this includes pizza shops, car repair and home repair, but the trend is what caught my eye. In the survey, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4247","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-contractor-marketing","7":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n