It is tough to deny just how powerful of a tool Facebook has become to companies of any size and within any industry. With over a billion active users, there is a large pool of potential clients that could be only a few clicks away from becoming a permanent customer, but it is not always easy to draw in these users and then turn them into loyal customers. With recent changes to Facebook and some of the leading search engines, there is now one more piece of this puzzle for users to figure out, and that is nearby mobile users.

Individuals that log on to their Facebook account through a mobile device make up a very high percentage of the total users. There are a wide array of apps, including one created by Facebook itself, to surf through this website on smartphones and tablet PCs, and this means that every business owner should understand the important of streamlining their business page and optimizing it for mobile use. While this is an important step for businesses of all types, local brick-and-mortar establishments will immediately notice the benefits of this optimization when it comes to targeting specific local demographics.

Many of the searches that users carry out for local businesses may now direct users to the company’s Facebook page. This means that there will now be a huge influx of traffic to these pages, especially with users that are on the go. When on the Facebook page, users that notice unwieldy tools and features will immediately be put off by the company, often moving on to the next most desirable business. When searching locally, simplified pages may be better and users want to be directed towards relevant and pertinent information as quickly as possible. This will make both the page and the business more appealing.

By increasing traffic to the business through various actions such as check-ins and reviews, a business might quickly see its rankings for various keywords and searches climb to a higher result spot. Facebook does not necessarily direct the user towards the closest business when there are more popular options available.

Companies will also need to carefully consider which products and services they would like to outline on their Facebook page and how that will affect nearby searches. As much company information as possible should be displayed and the title of the company may have a relatively large effect on nearby searches. Contact information and hours should also be kept as up-to-date as possible as even missing a few key pieces of information could permanently alter a customer’s perception of the business.

With these new features, businesses now have the opportunity to direct their products and services to the local demographics that will result in success.