72% of customers search for a product or service on digital sources first, but not all of them buy online.

72% look online first optimized

It’s critical that local businesses ensure people can find their them online in order to keep new customers walking in their front door. According to the LSA study, only 28% turned to offline sources when ready to purchase — including family and friends! Making sure that people can find your local business is step one. Local Marketing Institute (LMI) has a free checklist that can help you get started with SEO right here.

To learn more about where customers search when ready to make a purchase, see this article.

Eric Shanfelt
Eric is the Founder and CEO of Local Marketing Institute. He has 25 years of experience in digital marketing and has been the Chief Digital Officer for several B2B and consumer media companies. Eric has a passion for local businesses and focuses on practical digital strategies to help them attract more customers, build customer loyalty, and grow their business.