Do you want more local customers visiting your business? Are you looking for ways to get more people through your door in Melbourne? It's one thing to have a website, but it’s another to have a website that actively brings in new business from your community. If your website isn't actively helping you connect with new customers, then it’s time for a change.

Many small businesses invest in a website but fail to see a tangible return in new clients and leads. The issue is that these businesses are lacking the know-how to use the website effectively to drive growth for their business.

In this guide, we'll look at how you can turn your website into a powerful lead-generating tool to get more clients in your Melbourne community. This post will guide you through the steps you need to ensure your website is designed to attract local clients from Melbourne.

We know that having a website that works hard for your business is more than just a nice thing to have, it’s essential to have a local online presence to stay relevant.

Understanding Your Ideal Local Customer

Before we get into the practicalities, we need to know who you are trying to attract. Who is your ideal client, where are they located in Melbourne, and what are they looking for?

Understanding your ideal client is the most important step to generating new business, as it will help your business to market directly to this core group of people. This understanding is vital if you want to gain local customers.

Create a profile of your ideal client, so we can tailor our approach to target them online. Start by creating a persona, or a customer profile, so you can really get to know this person. Knowing the answers to these questions will enable you to optimise your website for your target client and understand their needs.

Are they a small business owner in the city, or are they a client looking for something in the suburbs? Knowing this will impact how you market to them, and will be a crucial component in your local area marketing.

Step-by-Step Guide to Attracting Local Customers

Let's get to the key elements that will get your business found by your local Melbourne market:

Step 1: Optimise for Local SEO

Local search optimisation will ensure your business appears prominently in search engine results when nearby customers are looking for services like yours. Ensuring you rank well in local search results can generate new leads to your website. What terms do your clients search for? Ensure that your website is telling Google what your business is all about. If your website does not do this, you are missing out on a lot of leads. This is a crucial step when looking to grow your business and ensure your online visibility in the Melbourne region.

Start by doing some keyword research. Find words and phrases your ideal clients are using when they’re searching for services or products like yours. For example, if you're a web design agency in Melbourne, target keywords like "web designer Melbourne," "website design Melbourne," or "Melbourne website development." Make sure these phrases are incorporated into all levels of your website, from page copy, to titles, to meta tags, so you are sure Google understands what your business is all about.

Then, ensure you have these keywords throughout your website's content, in titles, descriptions, headings, and body content. When it comes to your local SEO, it’s a key step to take.

If your website doesn’t have this implemented, it is less likely to show up in Google searches, meaning you will miss out on leads and potential new clients.

Step 2: Showcase Your Local Presence

Let your clients know where you are, show them on the map! Ensure you have an accurate business address, contact details, including phone number and email displayed clearly on your website. Using google maps integration makes it even easier for clients to see where you are. Also make sure you have an embedded Google Map, showing where you are for easy access. If you have a physical location, it’s incredibly important to show it off on your website, ensuring that clients can easily visit.

• Having your details easily found will allow for a good user experience and build trust with your clients.
• When a client can easily find you on the map, they know you’re local and legitimate, and also have the confidence to know where your business is located.

This helps with local search optimisation, but also creates trust in your brand. When a client can easily find you on the map, they know you’re local and legitimate, and you will have an easier way to attract local clients. If you are wanting to be known in the Melbourne community, it is a must that these steps are followed and implemented into your website to help increase website visibility.

Step 3: Gather Local Testimonials and Reviews

Are clients saying great things about your business? You need to show it off on your website! Having testimonials and reviews on your website creates social proof, encouraging other local clients that you are a trusted business.

• Request local clients to leave reviews on Google,
• And make sure these reviews are also showcased on your website, so potential clients are able to see the great work that your business has been doing.

When you share customer testimonials and positive reviews from Melbourne-based businesses you create a sense of trust and reliability. It shows that you are a reputable, quality, business and you are actively involved in your area. It creates a sense of confidence in your business and is a great marketing tool to utilize, ensuring you build client trust and also boost local sales.

Step 4: Focus on Local Content

If you have recently worked on a Melbourne website or a campaign in the area, this is great content to show on your website, so that other businesses in Melbourne can relate. Has your business been part of the Melbourne community recently? Share pictures or content that will engage with your market.

Having a website with great content will engage your audience and allow them to connect with you on another level, and also showcase to your clients that you are a trusted name in the industry in the Melbourne region.

Showing off work that has been done in the area, or local partnerships shows your clients that you are a part of the local community, and therefore are more trusted than businesses that are located elsewhere. Local content makes it feel like you are their ‘neighbourhood’ expert, building more rapport and loyalty with your client base. This is an important step when it comes to community outreach.

Step 5: Run Location Specific Promotions

Highlight special promotions that are available for a limited time, or discounts that are available for local clients in the Melbourne region in your website’s content. Are you running a promotion for your local Melbourne clients? Showcase it! If you offer discounts for specific times or locations, show that on your website!

Ensure you have a page dedicated to show promotions for clients who are coming from your local area. Creating dedicated promotional content for local clients creates a sense of exclusivity and is a great marketing tool to utilize and attract local clients.

• Showcase local promotions on your website
• Give clients exclusive discounts for businesses in Melbourne

Step 6: Be Active In Your Community

Showcase local charities that your business works with, or local partnerships that you are a part of. Does your business work with other businesses in Melbourne in the area? Make sure this is a point of difference for your website, and connect with the other brands. When you collaborate with others in your community, you are building rapport and trust and also ensuring you are a reputable business.

Showing that you are involved in local projects and partnerships is great for the image of your brand, and helps to establish trust. This content allows you to further connect with your local Melbourne market, and show that you care for the people around you. It builds another level of trust with a client and also helps with community outreach.

Step 7: Track Your Results

To see how effective all of this is, you need to keep a close eye on your website performance using Google Analytics. Google Analytics is an amazing tool for all businesses to understand the website traffic to their website. Take time to see what is working, and what's not working, and what areas you need to work on to better your website conversion rates. By using this tool, you can keep track of the website traffic and see where improvements can be made.

Making these changes will allow you to convert website visitors into loyal customers, therefore improving website conversion rates for your business. With data at your fingertips, you can make better informed decisions, and will ensure that your business continues to grow with results.

• Set up and use Google Analytics and Google Search Console, making sure you are implementing these tool as soon as you create your website.
• Regularly review your data so you know what to focus on to make improvements and changes.

Conclusion

By putting these elements into place, you are well on your way to attracting new clients from the area. If your business needs more customers, you should follow these simple steps to attract new clients into your business and boost local sales. 

You need to make sure you are putting your clients first, and that your website has all elements in place to encourage local area marketing.

Ready to start attracting more customers from Melbourne with your website? Give us a call on 0450 616 000, or visit the contact page. Your business has so much potential in Melbourne, and we are here to help you achieve this and take it to the next level so you can get more clients.