Promote your web hosting business locally

When you offer web hosting services, you can find clients from around the world, and you can clients in your own city or town.

1 Advantages of promoting your web hosting business locally
2 How to promote your web hosting business locally

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Advantages of promoting your web hosting business locally

Some methods of marketing apply only to the local market.
Local search is becoming more popular.
Some people prefer to work with service providers in their own area.
Local marketing doesn't need to cost a lot.

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How to promote your web hosting business locally

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Optimize your website for local search

Name your city and state/province in the <title> element, preferably near the beginning. You want to do well on the SERP for these terms along with your service keywords.
Have your full address on your Contact page, including country and zip or postal code. Having this information easily accessible will make it easier for local search engines and directories to add your site without your even asking them to.
Include your city, state/province, and country elsewhere in the text, perhaps on your About page. (It's useful information for non-locals too. People tend to feel better about doing business with a company that has a named location.)

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List your company in local directories

Google Local (Google Maps): create your listing at Google's Local Business Center (Google account needed)
MSN Live Search: click on the Help link to get to the form to add your listing
Yahoo! Local: go to their Add a New Business page (Yahoo account needed) (Currently only for the US)
Ask Business Search: email their customer service department to have your business added to the listings (Currently only for the US)
Local.com: add your listing via their submission form (currently only for the US and the UK)
TrueLocal: go to their List Your Business page (in English, Spanish, and French)

Also search for directories specific to your city and country.

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Display your domain with your company name locally

Some of the people you're in contact with locally may be looking for a web host or know someone who is. Provide your domain wherever your company name appears, and interested people will go to your site for more information.