Lost Opportunities

In today’s commercial market the immediate impulse of the consumer is to search for a company online. As we become more and more mobile, search enquiries on smartphones can define a company’s continued success by its ability to be ‘found’ by the consumer. Local search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial on mobile devices and many Macau businesses appear to be missing out. Digital maps in Macau are often incomplete and inconsistent. Residents and tourists alike are unable to visit many businesses because the name or address of the company is missing from their favourite map application like Apple, Google Maps or Bing Local. As a resident of Macau, transplanted from the United States, I’m puzzled when I hear of a new restaurant or I require a business service and I cannot find their presence on the Internet. My online searches begin with one of the big three: Google, Yahoo or Bing. If my intended business does not appear in my search, I will attempt again but this time I will translate the company name or service into Cantonese or Portuguese. Frequently, I am unsuccessful in my searches, leading me to then identify another company with an SEO presence who will ultimately get my business. Are many Macau businesses not taking search engine optimization seriously? Are they not registering their company names and addresses in English, Portuguese and Cantonese? What is the disconnect? Ideally, in today’s marketplace, companies should complete keyword optimization in at least English or Cantonese to ensure that their enterprise can easily be identified by local consumer online searches in Macau. Social media can also assist with increasing Internet presence but must be executed correctly. For instance, if you create a Facebook or WeChat page for your company and include a physical address, the function of the address URL link is only adequate if it corresponds with digital map applications. There is a famous American sports film ‘Field of Dreams’ in which the quote, ‘if you build it, they will come’ features. I can associate this quotation with Macau businesses, ‘If you register your company on major websites and connect with their digital maps, we, the consumer, can come!’ I encourage all Macau businesses to check both their online presence and their company’s existence on smartphone map applications. Are you popping up on searches or are you losing opportunities?