In Retail, there are two reasons why your company may not be working. First is an execution issue. This is when we know about your product, but we do not like your product. Chipotle had this execution issue back in 2020 when they paid out 25 million dollars for foodborne illness issues. This was before Chipotle made their store an experience. People didn’t trust Chipotle because they couldn’t watch them make their food, but now you can see everything, and they have built back the trust of their customers. Chipotle was able to overcome its execution issues, but most small businesses deal with the other issue. Most of them deal with an awareness issue. This is when you have a product that people would like, but we just do not know about your company. There are so many products that come out that people would probably want, the issue is that it does not get any exposure. That is why SEO is so important for small businesses; they do not have the funds to advertise. Although advertising is the best way to put your product out there, it is not the only way. SEO can be just as effective as advertising if done the right way at no cost. Even though this is the case, small businesses continue to ignore this alternative for getting people to find out more about your business. SEO solves the issue of awareness for small businesses. It solves the issue because when people are searching for a solution to a problem, your business/product comes up as a solution. SEO is very overlooked and underappreciated by small companies. Small Businesses should lean into SEO and make it their advantage, so they come up when their product or category is looked up. If small businesses are dealing with awareness issues, they would consider boosting their SEO.
6 Responses
Hi Jack, I really liked your post! I think it was cool that you tied in Chipotle to make your point. I would agree that SEO is essential for getting awareness for your product and it is important for advertising. Also, I agree that SEO is super important for small businesses because its free and can be super effective. Overall, Great post.
Hey, this is great! Good thoughts around the idea of SEO. I definitely agree with your opinion about SEO in small businesses. If they can harness that well, then they can drive more traffic in their business and grow exponentially. We want local businesses to succeed as much as possible and this is a great way to do so.
In the face of publicity and engagement challenges, small businesses should recognize SEO not just as a necessity, but as a powerful tool for leveling the playing field against larger competitors, utilizing SEO can put you neck and neck with the bigger names and brands. This was an interesting post, especially when using Chipotle as an example!
I totally agree with your point that many small businesses suffer from an awareness problem, rather than an execution problem. I think there are plenty of small businesses that have great products or services but just don’t know or understand the resources available to them! SEO is a great tool to get started and to try and reach the target market more effectively.
I can distinctly remember that Chipotle scandal. I remember the giant E coli outbreak that plagued them. You are also right that since Chipotle is such a large company, they were able to bounce back quite quickly. If that had been any kind of small business, they would’ve been dead in the water. If small businesses can effectively use SEO to their advantage, then they can capitalize just like the big guys.
I absolutely agree. In my experience SEO does tend to be overlooked by small businesses, which is such a shame because it is such a crucial aspect of getting your business out there and making people aware. SEO can help small businesses in so many ways, especially small businesses that require locals and others simply to be aware that they exist.