Updating your online information is an essential step when you move your small business.

By Suzana Joel

Relocating a business is hard work. It is a high-priority addition to other tasks on a business owner’s to-do list. Getting organized requires meetings, phone calls, and the kind of clutter that you don’t want. You’ll even want use a business relocation checklist to sort out your tasks. But here’s something that should be a whole new priority in itself – updating your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) details across your existing online and offline platforms.

The physical location of a business is now connected to both its online and offline marketing. So, when you move to a new location, you need both to be updated. You don’t want your customers receiving wrong NAP information that could result in potential loss of sales.

NAP updates for online platforms

According to Think With Google, more than 50% of smartphone users look for business information online. Inconsistent or wrong business information online will mislead your customers, and even give you negative reviews. Now, if you haven’t made the NAP updates on your business’ online platforms, you’re bound to lose out on your pre-existing SEO benefits. Here are three major online areas that need your NAP updates when you move.

– Directories and local business sccounts
Make sure you update your business information on all the directories and local business accounts like Yellow Pages, Chamber of Commerce, Yelp, etc. Most businesses are listed on a minimum of 10 such platforms to put them on the average consumer’s radar.

– Social media
If you already have a Google Plus Account, a Twitter account, a Wikipedia Page or a Facebook Page for your business, make sure you make the necessary changes immediately.

– Company website, auto-response and email signatures, and other templates
Make sure you have your new address details updated on your website, and change NAP details on your auto-response and email signatures.
[Pro-Tip: Make sure you are listed on the right directories and sites.]

NAP updates on offline (marketing) platforms

As you know, your offline marketing platforms are sizable brand identifiers for consumers. So, it is vital that NAP details need to be altered in these places.

– Outdoor advertisements (billboards or posters)

– Newsletters and other direct mail marketing campaigns

– Business cards, letter heads, forms and other similar templates

How to make these updates

Well, this one is a no-brainer. You could either do it yourself, or you could hire a service. For online changes, you make a list of all the external sites that require your NAP updates, and update them one at a time. You’ll need to spend a good amount of time on this. Conversely, you could opt for a local marketing software. Such a software will provide you with a tool to make all your updates in one shot across several directories and local business accounts. Apart from saving your time and effort, your updates will appear in a week’s time or less.

As for your offline NAP updates, make a list of ads and print directory listings that have been lucrative to you and make sure you have the new business information mentioned there. In addition to that, make provisions with your marketing team to create new copies and designs for outdoor advertising with the new address and contact information.

Making these updates might be trivial, but in today’s world, a smart business owner cannot afford to put aside these tasks. You need to ensure that your customers, both current and potential, can fine you.

[Pro-Tip: Once you have moved, you even have to think of promoting your relocation. Here are some of the common promotional tips you will must use.

– Advertise you move before you move in and around your store/locality.

– Send press releases to local newspapers and business-related publications.

– Share it on all your social media handles.

– Have a post that reports the Grand Opening of your business’ new office space.

– Take this as an opportunity to have your marketing team create an experience content piece about your relocation. If you can work it out, you can even put together a video piece.]

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If you don’t find her with a good book and a nice cup of masala chai, Suzana Joel is skimming the metaphorical rocks of content writing across the vast expanse of water that digital marketing is! She is a content writer/marketer at Synup.