Google, the single most used search engine in the United States, is constantly looking for ways to better serve its customer base. The newest trend in search engine usage is for local searches using mobile devices. Mobile device users like smart phone and tablet owners are growing to dominate the search market. Usage has expanded 500 percent in the past two years for mobile devices. Smart phones are predicted to replace most existing traditional cell phones within the next eighteen months. Plus, when a mobile user uses a search engine for local business searches, two thirds of those searches translate into sales. With these staggering numbers, no business can afford to ignore the benefits of marketing to mobile customers. There are several steps you will need to perform to ensure your visibility to mobile Internet users.

1. Revamp your website. Mobile display is very different from traditional computer monitors. Smart phones often have screens less than three inches across, meaning that regular websites do not load properly on their screens. Offer a mobile friendly page, ensuring that smart phone and tablet users can access all of the information they need. Plus, the more easily they can browse your site the more likely they are to walk in your door.

2. Get listed. If you are not already listed as a local business on Google, do so now. If you are listed, check to ensure that your business profile and information is current. More people use Google to search for local listings than they do the yellow pages, making it critical that you participate in their local business listing services.

3. Google is not alone. Do not forget to list your business on as many local listing sites as you can find. Google may account for almost two thirds of all United States searches, but that still leaves a lot of people using alternatives. Make sure that your business is as visible as possible by listing your information far and wide.

If you offer a mobile friendly website, people are more likely to take the time to actually browse your site. This can translate into more sales for your business. With two thirds of all mobile searchers then walking through the door of a local business to make a purchase, you can not afford to ignore the necessity of adding and updating your business listings. Even if you do not sell anything online, it is crucial that you maintain an online presence.

If you are invisible online, you will also be invisible to many people searching for local businesses. Very few people bother to crack open the yellow pages at this point. It is much easier to run a quick search and get all of the information in one easy place. Plus, the yellow pages do not offer rankings and reviews. Today’s consumer enjoys having instant access to local listings and peer reviews of those businesses. The Internet is an incredibly powerful information gathering tool, and businesses that do not bother making their presence felt online will not get the benefits of additional sales.