The internet has become a significant part of our everyday lives. What once was a luxury has now transitioned to an integral tool used by almost everyone around the world. And, with the prevalence of smart phones, the internet is literally at our finger tips at almost all times. Because it is so easy to find things online, people engage in search activity almost without realizing it. Want to know a quick answer to a question? Google it. Want to find a phone number to a shop or restaurant? Google it. Want to know more about a particular subject? Google it.

People value their time more than ever today. They demand quick, accurate results to their searches and they will not spend long looking for the answer. If it cannot be found in the first few pages of Google, people will not continue to look. Even in the last twenty years, people would look to the phone book to find a contact. By searching the yellow pages, they could find a business providing the service that they needed. Thanks to the internet and the increased use of smart phones, people no longer need phone books. Instead, they will simply pull out their phone, perform a search for a business or service near them, and make a call. If you are a business owner and you are not online or you are not showing up in the first few pages of a Google search, odds are that you will not be found. Unless you are driving traffic to your site, you are wasting your time and money.

But, unless you have an innate understanding of Google or how to build a website, driving traffic to your site can be difficult -- if not impossible. You don’t have the capability or the time to take the steps you need to take in order to be sure that your customers can find you. If people cannot find you, they cannot buy from you, and if they cannot buy from you, your business will not succeed. Since 2013, Flypaper has been helping local businesses be found. The team at Flypaper can help your business enhance its online presence, improve its positioning on Google, and use social media to spread the word about your company and its goals, products, and purpose. For more information, or to speak with a member of the Flypaper team, contact an office near you today. *This article was originally published by the Chattanooga Times Free Press and Arkansas Democrat Gazette.