ProblemAwareness
Why does nobody know my business exists?
People cannot choose a business they have never seen. Before spending money, check the places where people look, because several of them cost nothing to fix.
A business stays unknown for three reasons: it cannot be found when people search, it is not shown to people who are not searching, or people see it and cannot tell what it does. Fix the free things first: a Google Business Profile, a complete Facebook page and a clear one-line description. Then use paid adverts to put the business in front of new people in your area.
What you see, and what it usually means
| What you see | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| You search your own business name on Google and it does not appear | No Google Business Profile, or it was never verified. |
| People say “I did not know you were here” | Nothing reaches people who are not already customers. |
| Your Facebook page has followers, mostly friends and family | Posts are shown to the same small circle each time. |
| People find you and still ask what you do | The description, the photos or the sign do not say it plainly. |
| Customers come only by word of mouth | That is a good sign about the work. It also means growth depends on chance. |
What you can do yourself
These cost nothing but time.
Search for yourself
On a phone, search your business name, then search what you sell plus your town, for example “guest house Rundu”. Write down what appears.
Claim your Google Business Profile
It is free. Add the exact location, hours, phone number, a description and at least five real photos. This is what puts you on Google Maps.
Complete your Facebook page
Profile picture, cover photo, address, hours, phone and WhatsApp button. Pin one post that says what you do and how to order.
Write one sentence
What you do, for whom, and where. Use that same sentence on the page, the profile, the sign and the WhatsApp status.
Ask five customers for a Google review
Send them the review link by WhatsApp. Reviews are what people read before they call.
Put the number where people already look
A clear sign, the WhatsApp number on the vehicle, and the same name everywhere.
- The free things are done and enquiries are still too few.
- You need new customers by a date: an opening, a season, a term.
- Your customers are spread across Namibia, not walking past the door.
What we would do
We check what people see today when they look for you, fix the listing and the page, and then run adverts that show the business to people in your area who have never heard of it. The report shows how many people saw the adverts and how many got in touch.
Paid campaigns are planned from your budget, from N$1,499.99. You get a written plan before you pay, and the budget planner shows how any amount is divided.
Common questions
How long does it take for people to know a new business?
A Google profile and a tidy page can be done in a week. Being known in a town takes months of being seen repeatedly. Adverts speed up the seeing. They do not replace doing good work that people then talk about.
Do I need a website for people to find me?
Not to start. A Google Business Profile and a Facebook page are enough for a local business to be found. A website helps when people need more detail before they contact you, and ADA Web builds those.
Is radio or a billboard better than online adverts?
They reach different people and are measured differently. Online adverts can be started small and show how many people responded, which makes them the easier place to begin on a small budget.
Tell us your budget. We will send back a plan.
Say what you are marketing, who you want to reach and what you can spend. You get a written plan with the channels, the duration and a traffic target before you pay anything.