Small-business marketing solutions specialist Manta launched a portfolio of marketing automation products, as well as a newly designed Website.
The product suite includes Manta Ads, which help small businesses advertise online by targeting thousands of potential customers searching for local small businesses, products and services.
“Between business operations, human resources responsibilities, product and service development and customer service, small-business owners are starved for time. It’s hard, if not impossible, to do it all—especially if you’re on your own,” John Swanciger, Manta’s CEO, told eWEEK. “When it comes to marketing, automation tools can be an incredibly efficient way for small-business owners to gain visibility, but only if they’re something a small-business owner can actually use.”
In addition, Manta provides a single business profile and one performance dashboard, so small businesses can manage their online brand presence across more than 50 different sites.
The product suite includes the automated Priority Search, which delivers clicks and calls from Google searches for local products and services.
“What small businesses need most for marketing is a partner that understands small business,” Swanciger said. “At Manta, we are exclusively dedicated to helping small businesses, and while we know that each one is unique, two primary concerns that all small businesses grapple with are consistent cash flow and getting in front of new customers. That’s why Manta is focused on creating new, fast-acting and affordable products that allow businesses to market for increased visibility and maintain a consistent brand presence online.”
The launch of Manta’s content hub, focused solely on small-business topics, provides daily articles and helpful information for small-business owners or their employees.
Resources include industry research, tips, and monthly online events, while a new small-business community helps simplify the process of getting advice directly from peers, Swanciger said.
“Mobile technology is an increasingly important platform for small businesses to maintain a level playing field with their larger competitors, but it can be hard to keep up,” Swanciger explained. “With this in mind, Manta keeps up with the latest technology to ensure that small businesses have a mobile-optimized Manta profile and that searches and visits to their Manta profile are optimized for mobile users. We work hard to make sure that even if a small business does not have their own resources to create a mobile-optimized or responsive Website, they can always lean on their Manta profile.”
According to a recent Manta poll, 62 percent of consumers said they don’t trust a business if it doesn’t have a strong online presence, and small-business owners reported that search engine referrals are one of the most valuable assets of their business, second only to their network of business contacts.