It is no surprise to learn that, if you are running one or more of the many kids’ activity centers in the United States, there is a massive amount of competition on the Internet. In fact, as of November 1, 2010 a search on Google for the term ‘kids activity centers’ generated about 347,000 results. This poses the question of how you are going to gain business over the other thousands of direct competitors. The answer is quite simple: list your kids’ activity centers in an online directory.
The most common type of online directory is one that lists people and their contact information – like an online phone book. In this case, an online directory refers to a compilation of related businesses and their contact information that is accessible via the Internet. Consumers often use online directories to eliminate the tedious task of searching through individual companies’ websites before stumbling across the one best suited to their needs.
Listing your kids’ activity centers in an online directory would allow you to benefit from the directory’s exposure which is likely to be much greater than that of a single entity’s. Online directories often are well-established with a positive history. They also tend to consist of a variety of related businesses which gives them more opportunities to appear in search results.
For instance, if your kids’ activity centers are focused solely on dance classes, it is likely that your website will appear for searches with the word ‘dance’ and related terms. However, if your business is listed in a directory with other kids’ activity centers that are focused on additional activities such as swimming or gymnastics, Internet users who may not have been searching for gymnastics are given easy access to your site and its information. The difficult work of obtaining visitors is already done for you! From there it is only your responsibility to make your business stand out among the rest and boost visitors’ interest in your offerings.
Online directories vary in offerings, regulations and costs. Some are completely free while others may offer memberships based on a paid subscription basis. Doing the appropriate research will lead you to the one that best suits your needs.
Sometimes marketing your kids’ activity center to gain online exposure can be time consuming or expensive. You may not want to spend the effort needed to rank high in the search engines because you’d rather focus on your services and day to day activities. If you can’t be found, it may have a negative effect on your kids’ activity center. However, an online directory listing can solve this problem and provide the benefit of online exposure at a low cost.
A special online directory that lists related businesses and their contact information is a great place to be listed and found. The directory will most likely gain a strong internet presence and be a place where many people look to find a kids’ activity center in their area. The other benefit to gaining the online presence for your kids’ activity center is getting it for little effort and, in most cases, for free.
Many online directories will allow you to get listed without paying a fee. This is an excellent service to utilize and will help you obtain a quality listing, which translates to online exposure for little effort and no money. These listings typically don’t include extra offerings or marketing services to supplement the listing. However, some kids’ activity center directories also offer paid listing options for varying monthly fees. These options can be a great fit and will easily help with your kids’ activity center marketing efforts.
Often, online directories will allow you to pay for an upgraded listing that could include pictures, a logo, a description and more. Marketing services, such as email marketing, may also be included in the upgraded listings to give you even more bang for your buck. These paid listings provide a quick and easy way to stand out among the rest of the kids’ activity center listings in the directory.
If you don’t have the time to promote your kids’ activity center online, you may want to consider being listed in an online directory. Even if you choose the free listing, you are increasing your exposure much more than if you didn’t invest in any marketing efforts. You may even decide that a paid listing is a better option to provide your business even more visibility. It is quick and easy to get listed in a kids’ activity center directory and often doesn’t cost an outrageous amount of money per month to maintain.
Keeping kids involved in extracurricular activities is vital for their growth and learning. Get Your Kids Off The Couch has made it a mission to provide parents with the resources they need to do just that. Visit www.getyourkidsoffthecouch.com to search your area for trusted activity centers.
About Brian Foster. In 2002, my wife Becky and I, along with our business partner Cassie Davis, opened the Stars & Stripes from nothing more than an idea. We started with one facility, in Clarkston, MI, and in just five short years we expanded our business to include several kids' activity centers that serve thousands of students and enjoy millions of dollars in revenue.
When we link together with one simple, radius based search, we work as a team to ensure that everyone's business grows. We also offer value to our communities by getting the word out about local classes and educational opportunities for kids. Just imagine what a powerful tool a website would be that gives parents instant access to the best local tutors, gymnastics classes, dance studios, swimming lessons, karate schools, cheerleading and much more, all in one central location, no matter where they live with the creation of GetYourKidsOffTheCouch.com.
