Hagerstown coffee shop(s) really miss out on local online marketing.
I bet I’ve driven by Higher Ground Coffee 500 times during my morning commute to work. Heck, it’s right there on the Dual Highway..I bet anyone from Hagerstown has driven by it 100’s of times.
The other day I was thinking… “I could go for some coffee” and in my quest unlock new badges on foursquare, I opted for somewhere I hadn’t yet been.
As usual, before visiting I did a local search on Google for “higher ground coffee hagerstown” – I figured I would scope out the menu, maybe they have a light offering for lunch as well.
My search results:
As you can see here in the screenshot — No website. I went 4 pages deep to be sure…nothing. At least Google has them on the map, right?
I proceeded
A whole 4 reviews that spell out “average coffee shop”.
They obviously have yet to claim their business on Google – No photos, no hours of operation, and of course no coupons (yes Google offers a coupon builder once you claim your business).
Dead end here.
I figured I would try Yelp…perhaps..eh..nothing
Again, Higher Ground Coffee has yet to claim their business on Yelp. One of the fastest growing local review sites.
Ok…I’m going to go way out on a limb and see if they have a facebook fanpage.
I didn’t think so…I’ll spare you the screen shot.
Local Hagerstown coffee shops need to wake up.
Higher Ground Coffee –
- Leverage local search
- Claim and brand your business on Google, Yelp and MerchantCircle
- Ask your current advocates to review — build a larger fan base.
Local people are looking for you!!
According to a recent comScore study — 82% of local searchers follow up via an in-store visit, phone call, or purchase.
35% of all searches are local – DM News
73% of online activity is related to local content – Google
So what about the coffee??
It was good. The caramel latte was a little too sweet for my liking (though I’m sure they would use less flavoring had I asked). Customer service was pleasant, atmosphere was nice, and the menu was expected.
I’ll return for convenience and customer service, but it’s not a fave 5
…what am I saying? Are there even 5 coffee shops in Hagerstown?
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I just visited higher grounds a few days ago after initially reading this post. I’m certainly on board with the need for social media/internet marketing. At the very least a website…
In fact while I was in the coffee shop a customer asked the barista if Higher Grounds was on facebook. There is def. a need to connect with customers and potential customers online.
-facebook
-twitter
-yelp
-youtube
All could prove to be very valuable. Great post.