‘Get It’ local business directory enhances exposure, sales

LIHU‘E — A comprehensive local business directory offered by The Garden Island is helping area businesses gain exposure and improve overall sales.

“Get It” is TGI’s local business directory, offering a variety of online and print services for area businesses, according to TGI Interim Publisher Casey Quel.

“In addition to offering businesses access to our audience, we are also providing services that allow them to be seen on other platforms such as major search engines and social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more,” she said.

“Instead of selling only traditional ad units, we are allowing businesses to post offers directly onto our site. Both our website and printed newspaper play a large role in what we deliver, but they are not the only driver of success for businesses that participate in this program.”

All businesses can have a basic profile, a “phonebook-style listing plus a website link, short description and hours of operation — for free,” she said.

“Beyond that, we offer service tiers from $125 to $350 per month. At the top level, businesses have access to everything the program offers — exposure throughout our site and newspaper, search engine optimization, digital coupons, an interactive video, texting services and much more.”

What helps in the process is search-engine optimization, or the enhancement of a Web page or site so that it is more likely to show up higher on search sites such as Google, Yahoo and Bing, Quel said.

“It can be tricky, and there are a lot of techniques that can have a short-term benefit but a long-term negative impact — as bad as having your site or listing blacklisted from Google. Our program is designed to help local businesses step through this ever-evolving and confusing field, using tried-and-true methods that are above-board with the major search engines.”

She said the program can be successful for any size business. It is designed to allow small businesses to participate, but larger local businesses can reap benefits, as well. Quel said the “Get It” program makes sense in today’s business climate.

“As Yellow Pages use declines, more consumers are turning to the Web to find out information about local businesses and services. But the Web is a crowded space and getting more crowded every day. ‘Get It’ helps businesses build a more expansive ‘Web presence’ — a series of footprints across the Web that help businesses gain more exposure via search engines,” she said.

“It all adds up — multiple offers and brand exposure across a wide variety of Web platforms drive phone calls and in-store visits. With thegardenisland.com and The Garden Island in print, advertisers are getting in front of 77 percent of adults in the Kaua‘i. The Web presence helps extend that even further.”