Get Found Without Becoming Your Own Marketing Department

Before someone can buy from you, book with you, or recommend you, they have to find you.

Once they do, they make decisions quickly:

• Is this business still open?

• Does it offer what I need?

• Can I trust it?

• How do I get in touch?

A wrong phone number, old address, or broken booking link may feel minor. To a potential customer, it can be the reason they move on.

That is the challenge for solopreneurs. You are already the owner, salesperson, scheduler, bookkeeper, customer service team, and occasional password detective. Getting found online can feel like one more department you never agreed to run. The goal is not to be everywhere. It is to help the right customers find accurate, useful information about your business in the places they already look.

Here is a practical way to do it.

1. Build Your “Find Me” File

Before creating another profile, make one document with the information you want to use everywhere online.

Include:

• Your exact business name

• Phone number, website, and business email

• Address or service area

• Regular and holiday hours

• Primary business category

• Three to five main products or services

• A one-sentence business description

• Links to your social profiles

• Eight to ten current photos

• The main action you want a customer to take

  
  

Should someone call, book, request a quote, shop, or send a message? Pick one primary next step.

Your description should help a stranger understand your business.

Instead of:

We provide personalized solutions and exceptional service.

Try:

Desert Bloom Bookkeeping helps Phoenix-area small business owners organize their finances, understand their numbers, and prepare for tax season.

The second version explains what the business does, who it helps, and where it operates.

Keep your Find Me file easy to update. It becomes your source of truth and saves you from rewriting the same information every time a platform asks for it.

2. Search for Your Business Like a Customer

Before adding new listings, see what is already online. Open a private or incognito browser window and search for:

• Your exact business name

• Your business name plus your city

• Your phone number

• Your website address

• Your main service plus your city

  
  

For example, search “Phoenix mobile notary” or “Scottsdale custom cakes.”

Check the map results, review sites, social profiles, and directories that appear. You may find a forgotten profile, a listing created by a directory, or an old phone number still floating around online.

Fix the problems most likely to cost you a customer first:

1. Wrong phone number

2. Old address or service area

3. Broken website or booking link

4. Incorrect hours

5. Duplicate listings

   
   

Search before creating a new profile. Claiming and correcting an existing listing is usually better than creating another version and making customers guess which one is current.

3. Choose a Few Profiles and Complete Them Well

Do not begin with a generic list of 50 directories. More profiles do not automatically mean more customers, especially when many are incomplete.

For many local businesses, Google Business Profile is a logical starting point. Eligible businesses generally need in-person contact with customers. A storefront can display its address, while a qualifying business that travels to customers can hide its address and show a service area instead.

After Google, choose two or three platforms based on how your customers search:

• Yelp may matter for businesses people commonly compare through reviews.

• Facebook or Instagram can show recent work and confirm that the business is active.

• Apple Maps or Bing Places can extend your presence across other search and navigation tools.

• An industry, professional, or Arizona directory may be more useful than a large general directory.

  
  

Complete a few profiles well before adding more. Each profile should include your real business name, accurate contact details, primary category, hours, services, current photos, and a clear way to reach you. Do not pack extra cities or services into the business-name field.

Then use the ten-second test:

Can someone quickly understand what I offer, where I work, and what to do next?

If not, simplify the description and make the contact or booking option easier to find. Customers should not need a treasure map.

4. Make Reviews Part of the Plan

A complete profile helps customers find you. Reviews help them feel more comfortable choosing you. When a platform permits review requests, ask after a successful purchase, completed project, or positive customer interaction:

Thank you for choosing my business. If you would like to share your experience, your honest feedback would mean a lot.

Provide a direct review link when allowed. Do not write reviews for customers, buy them, or offer rewards only for positive feedback. Yelp tells businesses not to ask customers directly for Yelp reviews, so check each platform’s rules.

Respond to reviews. Thank customers for positive feedback. If someone raises a concern, stay calm, acknowledge it, and offer an appropriate way to continue the conversation privately.

You are not only replying to one reviewer. You are showing future customers how you handle people.

5. Keep It Current Without Letting It Take Over

Getting found is not a one-time project. Hours change, links break, and old photos quietly become very old photos.

Once a week, spend no more than 20 minutes on a quick review:

• Check your main profiles for incorrect information

• Respond to new reviews and messages

• Test your website, contact, and booking links

• Add a current photo when you have something useful to show

  
  

Every few months, review your services, descriptions, hours, and photos more closely.

Before adding another listing, ask:

• Do my customers use it?

• Is it relevant to my business or location?

• Can I realistically keep it updated?

A few accurate, useful profiles will serve you better than dozens of forgotten ones.

SheAchieves Can Help

The hardest part is often deciding which directories and platforms are worth your time.

SheAchieves can create a customized list of online sites based on your business, industry, location, and customers. Our 100% volunteer-led team brings experience in marketing, finance, operations, business coaching, and research.

We will not hand you a generic list and wish you luck. We are here to help you focus on the places that make sense for your business and give you a practical place to begin.

One step at a time. Let’s keep getting found.

Email Info@SheAchieves.org if you would like assistance getting found online.