How To Optimize Your Listing and Make it a Lead Generation Tool

1. Visuals:

The extra time spent on creating quality shots of your products is priceless. Some users will make snap decisions based on what they see, make it work in your favor.

• Quality Photographs/video:
Your visuals should show your hero products, these can be either your best sellers or items that show well. Remember, this is the hook to bring users into your page to learn more about you. 

• Share Your Logo Love through vKind Website Searches: You want to brand yourself with your logo so people begin to know it’s you even if just an image. We have a unique feature where your logo shows up as your map pin drop icon when someone is searching through the vKind website, so be sure to upload yours!

• What to Avoid: Cluttered backgrounds, elements that do not add to the visual story, bad photo cropping, make sure you see the in-context image to make sure it’s sized correctly. For video, make sure the sound is clear and static free. Keep your videos short, usually under 2 mins.  

Note: video is one of the most effective content marketing tools. Check out vKind’s Evolutionary package which allows you to upload a video.

• What to Include: Backgrounds that offer good contrast, a setting that frames the product favorably (this can be a textured background, solid color table or backdrop), a good mix of product and people. Users like to see the humans behind the product, never underestimate the power of your personal story and your personality in connecting with prospects.

2. Messaging:

This should be broken down into three areas.

• Your Brand Story/Background: We love hearing how a business got started, this is your chance to say something memorable. A good example of this is Kelly’s Croutons.

• The Credibility Builder: Help educate users on how your product or service adds value to their lives. You can lead with an interesting factoid or talk about your credentials and years in this specific area. This is especially important for service providers. Here are a few examples of two business profiles that got us wanting to know more: The Phoenix Vegan Dietitian and Pink Print Design

•  The Relevant Description of The Product: If it’s related to food use tantalizing words or phrases that evoke certain mental images,  a good example Is The Southern V. For service providers, use active words to convey the excitement and uniqueness of your service, here is a good example from Valerie Martin the Vegan Therapist.

You also want to really think about what words people would use to SEARCH for what you offer. For example, if you have an online vegan shop with merchandise, list out some of your top sellers or searched items; shirts, belts, kids clothing, etc… If you have a cafe that specializes in breakfast, list out some of your favs like donuts/doughnuts, vegan egg, etc… Make sure to use words in the About Us section of your listing description that would help someone find you and what you offer!

And if you really want to amp up your searchability and reach consider looking at our Evolutionary listing that includes our vKind SEO Supercharge that will boost your listing for all applicable keywords and search terms to have you fou

3. How Prospects Reach You:

While we may sound like Captain Obvious on this one, a surprising number of businesses leave out the most important part. In fact, many small businesses don’t have a website to drive users to. Data shows that 35% of small business owners feel that their business is too small for a website. If you fall into this category we encourage you to use your vKind listing as a great place to showcase your business and offering + direct people to! By following the recommendations outlined in this post you’ll be well on your way to getting found by your ideal customers!

At a time when most transactions are taking place virtually, looking into free or low-cost website providers may be worth the investment.  Other information to include for users to reach you can be: email, phone (professional business greeting should be set up for voicemail), and social media pages. Remember, make it easy to be found time and time again.

4. Get Those User Reviews: 

In today’s virtual world product reviews are our eyes, ears, hands, taste buds, etc. which help take us from considering a product to purchasing that product and ultimately being a return customer.  Sixty-eight percent of women say they consult product reviews before making a purchase, while 56% will look at social media pages or ask contacts on social networks for advice. 

Reviews are important for men as well, they tend to spend more per transaction than women, spending an average of $220 versus $151 for women.

So, given the impact of your business listing, it makes perfect sense to make it as “sticky” and effective as possible. Every business has its own unique fingerprint. What makes a listing successful is the ability to convey this uniqueness to your users.

As Dr. Seuss would say in Oh The Places You’ll Go, “Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places!” and vKind users are your engine to get you there. Welcome them into your business page with open arms.