Want To Build an Online Presence for Your Hort Business? Take the First Step
April 21, 2021 In a recent presentation at the Oregon Association of Nurseries’ Nursery Guide LIVE virtual event, Monica Hemingway, award-winning Digital Strategist from monicahemingway.com, discussed her five keys to success for getting recognition on Google search. In this five part series, we will delve into each of Hemingway’s five keys for internet success.
Key one is all about keeping your focus. This means knowing what your business is all about. Do you sell cut flowers? Great, now make sure you convey that information clearly on your website and social media pages.
A second part to keeping your focus is knowing where to put your energy when setting up your online presence. According to Hemingway, it is important to focus on what you can control rather than what you cannot.
“Google looks for three things when pulling up search results: proximity, relevance, and prominence,” Hemingway says. “You cannot influence or control proximity or how near you are to the searcher. Relevance is how well your web presence matches with people searching for you. You have some influence over this. Finally, you have the most control over prominence, or your authority and trustworthiness.”
Proximity
Proximity is all about where your business location is in conjunction with the searcher. Someone looking for cut flowers in Calabasas, CA, will not find your shop in Houston, TX. This is something you have the least control over, and Hemingway recommends moving your focus elsewhere.
Relevance
Relevance means your shop matches the search terms the customer is looking for on Google. If someone is looking for video equipment, again, your horticulture business may not appear.
However, if someone is looking for cut flowers in your area, this is your chance to shine if your business specializes in cut flowers. Keeping your website up to date and filled with cut flowers tells Google you are relevant to what the customer is searching for.
Prominence
Prominence is your trustworthiness in the industry. It is your online reputation that everyone can see through reviews and advertisements. This is the part of a Google search you have the most control over.
“88% of people trust online reviews as much as they do recommendations from friends and family,” Hemingway says. “74% say it’s a key influencer in their purchasing decisions.”
By asking customers to leave you reviews, you can boost your reputation, and Google will take notice.
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