Local searchers = ready to buy

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone who came in your store was ready to buy, and not just there to browse or kill time? One reason the yellow pages has such a strong hold over small businesses is that when Joe Consumer opens the yellow pages, he’s almost always ready to buy. (Have you ever known anyone to read the yellow pages casually?)

Well, in a good interview by Hollis Thomases this week on ClickZ.com, marketer Greg Sterling makes a point that proves why I think local search is of prime importance to small business marketing on the web:

“A person looking for a local retailer, entertainment outlet, or service business is often much closer in time to a buying decision, and their level of interest is greater. “Local clicks” very often represent better leads and convert better than general clicks.”

While the article is addressed toward ad and marketing agencies, once you sort through that there are some good suggestions for any business web site owner to think about.