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There are a number of possible reasons a business may need to relocate, whether it be the fact that it is expanding, downsizing or simply moving closer to its customer base.
Obviously, moving a business requires that information is updated so that the relevant government parties have all the proper documentation, and customers and the public can easily find you.
With so many things to organise, it can be tricky to find time to account for all the necessary changes that are required, and more often than not, things fall through the cracks.
Online changes in your business address can be hugely important for your marketing efforts, yet have the potential to be forgotten given how busy such a time can be.
We’ve compiled a checklist of the online factors that come into the equation, and what you need to do to ensure a smooth transition.
1. Update the website
The most obvious change you need to make is to change the address that is shown on your website, which is fairly straightforward especially if you have admin access yourself. You’ll just need to log in and publish the new address on the relevant pages or request that your web design company do so on your behalf.
2. Update search engine map listings
Depending on how large your online presence is, you may have any number of citations and business listings all over the internet.
When you change your business address, its crucial that you ensure they are all correct; failing to do so can confuse Google if some have the new address and other have the old address, which can make your SEO efforts less successful. It can also confuse potential customers that have discovered you online.
Your map listings, particularly those in Google, are hugely important. Your Google map listing will affect the address that is shown when somebody searches for your business, which is often the way customers find where you are located. If you’ll also be changing your number, this becomes even more crucial.
You’ll need to verify your new business listing and address by logging into your Google My Business account and requesting for the update to be made.
Once you logged in to your Google My Business dashboard, you will see your map listing like this:
Click on the “Manage Location” button and you will be redirected to a page where you can update your business information including address and phone number.
For example, if you want to update your listing address, you will need to click on the pen icon located on the right side of the address. Then a pop-up like below will come up, make the necessary changes and click on the “Apply” button.
Google will then send you a verification code to your new address, which you need to validate by entering the code.
The same approach should be taken with Yahoo, Bing and any other search engines if applicable.
Related article: Importance of Google Plus for Business Owners
3. Update online listings and citations
Depending on how large your online presence is, you may have any number of citations and business listings all over the internet.
When you change your business address, its crucial that you ensure they are all correct; failing to do so can confuse Google if some have the new address and other have the old address. Citations are one of the most important search engine ranking factors for local businesses, so it’s crucial you consider this.
Failing to do so can be harmful to your SEO efforts and potentially mean losing keyword ranks and no longer showing up for local searches. It can also confuse potential customers that have discovered you online.
The trouble is that a company that has been in business for a number of years might have amassed a huge number of online listings, particularly if you’ve invested in SEO in the past. Luckily, there are tools that can help you manage existing citations (and also find new citation opportunities). We’d recommend Brightlocal or Whitespark, both of which are excellent resources.
Another potential problem is that in order to edit listings, you may need to login with a username/password or email. That’s why it always pays to keep a track of the listings you’ve created and the details you’ve used in doing so.
If you don’t have the details to login and edit old listings, you can claim them by sending a request to the website.
4. Update paid search campaigns
If you’re running any paid search engine advertising campaigns, such as AdWords, having the correct address set up is going to help you rank locally when someone uses Google to search for your services.
You may be focusing on a particular local market, so that people in your area see your ad at the top of the page. But if Adwords thinks you’re in another suburb, you’ll still be coming up for those local searches, even though you’re not located nearby.
More to the point, people in your new suburb won’t be seeing you because Google doesn’t know that’s where your located.
Related article: 5 Biggest Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Google AdWords Campaign
5. Change your email signature
This is likely something you’ll be on top of quite early in the piece, given that in most industries you’ll be using your email almost daily.
Changing your email signature address is fairly straightforward and doesn’t take more than a few minutes. If you’re using Outlook, click herefor a very helpful explanation on how to go about it.
6. Use online tools to make your change of address known
It can be tricky to let your clients and customers know that you’re relocating. In some industries, you may not have contact with your clients for the months leading up to the relocation, in which case you won’t have the option of letting them know.
Offline methods such as mail, advertisements or print media can be quite pricey. That’s why online tools can be so effective when you’re relocating, and they should be utilised in various ways.
It’s a good idea to take to your social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus and post about the change of address. If you have an active social media presence with a lot of your clients following you, this can be a very effective method of getting the word out.
You can also make updates with pictures of your new space or provide a map direction, if this fits your brand image of course.
An email marketing campaign is another effective tool in spreading the news of your relocation. Even if the percentage of subscribers that read the email is relatively low, its helps your effort to spread the word and ensures more of your customers will be up-to-date with your address.
Successfully relocating your business is a daunting task and in the scheme of things, some of these factors may seem relatively inconsequential compared to the physical relocating of an entire business.
But failing to make these online changes can be very costly to the business, and make it more difficult to hit the ground running in your new location.
