The Internet Is Killing Local Businesses… Really?

Re: The Internet Is Killing Local Businesses… Really?

Let’s face it we are all guilty of using the net, and probably moan about the loss of decent local stores in the same breath.

Amazon is the biggest case in point. No matter what, they sell it, they gift wrap it, parcel it out, they have a full no questions asked returns policy.

Then you can create wish-lists for your family to pick from, so you can look at theirs to see what they really want, and not second guess something you are not sure about. You can read other consumers reviews & feedback of any product that takes your fancy.

Finally you can use any another retailers web-site and align your selection to your personal Amazon wish list.

If not Amazon, try E-Bay, Play.com all do the same job.

The advantages of the net, no driving into town, struggling to find a parking spot at a cost, being accosted by big-issue sellers, salesman trying to get you to change your energy supplier, fat people with their bellies out, smell of cigarette smoke, listening to other peoples phone conversations and screaming kids.

Be honest everyone, how many people these days trawl the shops for Christmas presents? All ours are done on line.

Grocery shopping the same now, we no longer go to Sainsburys on a Saturday and fall over old people with their tartan shopping trolleys (Why do pensioners shop on a Saturday anyway, and another thing, why do young mothers take their kids to Sainsburys so they can shout at them? Do it at home!)

I do miss decent record stores though, as I used to love a browse and despite downloads, I still buy albums.

I complain at times when we spend an age identifying a part on the phone to some vague customer, who then tells me they can get it cheaper off the net. But it has been that way for some time now, and I’ve learned to live with it. Something called progress.

Alex

Re: The Internet Is Killing Local Businesses… Really?

Alex wrote:Let’s face it we are all guilty of using the net, and probably moan about the loss of decent local stores in the same breath.

Alex

Absolutely agree Alex, we are all at, shopping online while at the same time bitching about our high streets being full of charity shops and pound stores.

I just cant see where the OP is coming from with the title of this thread 😕
The internet has had a very centralizing effect with regard to retail employment especially IMO , huge sheds on industrial estates spewing out thousands of packages an hour destined for addresses country wide,while thousands of family run local shops close their doors for good.

As for local service businesses, well, your local builder or domestic appliance engineer may well feel he has to have a web presence now, but does it really do much more than a yellow pages or local paper ad used to? I personally get 80{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of new clients through good old word of mouth.
Its not as if a local trader can tout for work in California or Calcutta so I’m not sure there is a huge benefit to the bottom line.

Is the internet killing local business? I truly cant see how it is helping the majority quite frankly.

Eddie.

Re: The Internet Is Killing Local Businesses… Really?

re video and seo

q , who owns youtube ? a, google

google have been for a while adding video into their algorithms as part of the way they view your site and how they rank it ..

ive messed about with video etc for a year – some are shittttt but other are defo having an impact re google search rank.

if the video is purley just an add for your business keep it short 15-30 seconds , if its an info video ie how to check a filter etc – doent really matter about time but still dont make to long boring etc ,
reason being google will mark it down if viewers dont finish watching it .. ie its 1 minute long but viewers clicking of it at 30 seconds
same as if users find your site and click off it withing 5- 10 seconds – google again mark it down,

hope this makes sense

ally

Re: The Internet Is Killing Local Businesses… Really?

yip sounds good has to be something half useful , how many times has a customer said how did you do that when you took out soap drawer ? or the customers who actually do take out soap drawer but dont clean the roof jets ,,

create a you tube Chanel and then ebedd the onto your web site.
make sure you put all your business details on youtube – on the 1st line of describing your video put your full url 1st – that way anyone viewing video can see your web site under video and can click direct ..

also if you have google places or now google + put video there as well ,

ally

ps dont bother to much if its not all showbiz glitzy , customer just want info .