It's not just about sports. When Columbus and Cleveland small businesses battle it out for Ohio customers on the internet, who comes out on top? We looked at 500+ local businesses in each city to find the answer to this question.
The Shocking Scorecard
The results of our challenge will surprise you:
When looking at Local Search Results, Columbus scored a stunning 67% of businesses ranked in the top three locally, while Cleveland had only 43%. In terms of website quality, Columbus had an average load time of 3.2 seconds compared to Cleveland's average load time of 5.1 seconds. The social media engagement for Columbus businesses was an astonishing 340% above that of Cleveland businesses, whose pages were filled with dated content.
So who's the winner? Columbus. But for different reasons than most people think.
Why Columbus Crushes Cleveland Online
Investments in Professional Services
Columbus companies are investing 45% more into digital marketing compared to Cleveland-style companies. Cleveland's companies are still attempting to use DIY methods. Columbus companies are instead working with professional Columbus Web Design, and partnering with experienced Local SEO marketing.
Case Study: The Pearl vs. Similar Cleveland Area Restaurant
The Pearl (Columbus) has a professional website, continuously updated social media pages, and an up-to-date Google Business Profile
A Cleveland area restaurant has a DIY website that was designed in 2019, a few random posts on Facebook, and a Google listing that is not verified.
As a result, the Pearl had 280% more online reservations than the similarly located restaurants simply because of the difference in investment in marketing.
The Google My Business Gap
Business Listings Agreed - Google Business Listings Provide Easy Local Search & Source for Advertisement. Both Cities Will Increase Their Amount Of Business Listings Over The Next Two Years.
Businesses In Columbus:
- 78% of all businesses have been fully optimised
- Average - 23 Reviews Per Month
- 89% of All Businesses Have Responded to Reviews Within 24 Hours
- Regularly Publish On/Gain New Listings
Businesses In Cleveland:
- 34% of all businesses have partially set-up listings
- Average - 7 Reviews Per Month
- 23% Of All Businesses Do Not Respond To Reviews
- Sporadically Publish On/Gain New Listings.
For each city, IF YOU SEARCH FOR "Restaurants Near Me", The Same Will APPEAR in GUEST OFFERS. Find more on Google Search or Maps among each city's separate listings.
Restaurants In Columbus Will Show Up In Search Results, But Restaurants In Cleveland Will Have Difficulty FINDING Visibility On Google Maps.
The Columbus Business Model Here
Columbus Companies Take Advantage of All That Social Media Has To Offer, Just As A Columbus ROI Has Been Done With The Same Strategy. Cleveland Companies Have No Idea What They Are Doing With Social Media.
The Columbus Winning Formula
- Continuously Post To Your Social Media Account (5-7 Postings/Week) (Like Professional Account) (Like A Columbus Sales Account)
- Use Specific Local Hashtags (# ColumbusEats, #614Business)
- Partner (Interact) With Your Community
- Use Professional Photographs/ Videos In Your Social Media Marketing Campaign
The Cleveland Common Mistake
- Post A Very Few Amount Of Times A Month (Less Than 1 A Week)
- Use Non-Locally Based, Generic Type Posts
- Use Poor Quality Images
- Don’t Interact With Your Community (No Posts)
Columbus Companies Are 340% Better At Engaging In Social Media Than Cleveland Companies Are At Engaging With Other Businesses.
The Gap between Web Design In Columbus vs Cleveland
The quality of website design in Columbus, Ohio, is much higher than that of Cleveland's. This is because businesses in Columbus realise that a website is a digital storefront, not just a brochure.
Website Features Available in Columbus
- Responsive Design with a mobile-first approach.
- Quick Load Times (less than 3 seconds).
- Simple call to action.
- Local SEO.
- Professional Photography.
Website Design Problems in Cleveland
- Desktop Websites that don't work well on mobile devices.
- Slow Load Times (greater than 5 seconds on average)
- Confusion with Navigation.
- Missing Contact Information.
- Stock Photography instead of authentic pictures of the company.
The Collaborative Influence of Professionalism
Columbus, Ohio's 'secret weapon' is the fact that local businesses collaborate with a professional marketing agency as opposed to attempting to go at it alone.
Some common strategies being used in Columbus include:
- Local search engine optimization (SEO) agencies to help with search visibility
- Professional web design firms for contemporary-looking websites
- A Columbus social media agency for content consistency
- Google My Business services to achieve local-market dominance.
In Cleveland, there is a tendency to 'do-it-yourself' in all areas to save money and lose customers.
A Total Return: Part A, Columbus vs Cleveland
Columbus businesses spend more, but receive a significantly greater dollar return per dollar invested. Below are the average monthly returns on investment for Columbus and Cleveland, along with the corresponding average monthly digital marketing expenses and average monthly new customer value.
- $1,200 Digital Marketing Expense
- Average Monthly New Customer Value = $4,800
- Rate of return on investment 4:1
- Average Monthly Digital Marketing Expense: $300
- Average Monthly New Customer Value = $1,100
- Rate of Return on Investment 3.7:1
How to Succeed Again in Cleveland
Cleveland isn't lost forever. Will Cleveland recover from Columbus's digital edge? The gap between Cleveland and Columbus can be closed with proper resources.
- Invest In Professional Website Design (Get Rid of Your 2019 Website)
- Optimise Your Google Business Profile (Claim each location and optimise)
- Utilise Social Media Professionals (Regularly post instead of sporadically)
- At a Minimum, Partner With Local SEO Experts (Doing It Yourself Isn't Enough)
Final Thoughts
Columbus is the clear victor of this category. Not because of its size, but rather because their businesses understand that a strong online presence creates real revenue.
Cleveland has the ability, the talent and is capable of achieving the same result. The big question is, Will Cleveland's businesses invest their money towards their digital image at the same level as Columbus does, or will they continue to lose to Columbus because of their inability to provide better online solutions for customers?
You Have The Choice To Adapt Digitally or Become Victims of Columbus's; you decide to make this a new beginning.
Are You Ready To Compete with Columbus? Your City’s online reputation rests upon it.
