We Duct Tape Marketers are big believers in harnessing the power of the Internet as an affordable way to effectively market your small business, particularly in the area of local search. As more people begin their search for products and service on the Internet, it becomes increasingly important to make sure your customers can find you in the local search directories.
Today I had the opportunity to visit on the phone with Chris DeVore, COO & Co-Founder of Judy's Book, Inc. Judy's Book is a web site that you can use to find business and special deals in your area. But the thing that really makes the site special is that customers can write about their experiences with you , your products, and your services by creating a review on the web site. So (assuming you are providing excellent products and service) your current customers can provide testimonials to your prospects. This goes a long way in helping stranger come to Know, Like, and Trust You.
Chris told me that his goal is to make Judy's Book the place everyone looks first before they go shopping in their city or town. The reason I like Judy's Book from a small business marketing perspective is that their business model provides a great opportunity for the small business owner. Judy's book makes most of their money by running paid promotions for large brands (Sears, Walmart, etc.). However, because they want to have quality local content, they invite small business owners to publish their sales and specials on their site for free. Free is my favorite flavor of advertising, particularly when targeted to local folks who are looking to buy.
They also use human editors (along with software) to exclude spam and to make sure the best deals rise to the top. I'll attest to the fact that they actually read what is put on their site because that's how I met Chris. He saw my listing, actually read it to find out what I do, and then contacted me to see if there was anything he could do to help. Kind of the treatment you'd expect from your local store, right?
Chris also told me about a new feature they are launching today - the ability to upload images to include in your offer. So now you can show as well as tell.
You can sign up to add your business to Judy's book here. You are also automatically included in Judy's Book if you purchase the
Duct Tape Marketing Search Engine Profile.
