Welcome back to Small Business Small Talk! In this episode, Dan, Sarah, and Ian dive into one of the most important topics for business owners: the customer journey.

We break down what the customer journey really looks like (hint: it’s not a straight line), how many touchpoints it takes before a customer chooses your business, and why an integrated marketing strategy matters at every stage.

From awareness and consideration to conversion, purchase, and loyalty, we explore the five stages of the funnel and how small business owners can create strategies that guide customers through each one. Whether you’re running a need-it-now service like plumbing or building long-term trust for bigger projects like remodeling, this conversation is full of insights to help you better connect with customers and grow your business.

We also cover:
✔️ Why reviews are the “new word of mouth”
✔️ How branding consistency builds trust
✔️ The importance of touchpoints in today’s digital marketing
✔️ Ways to measure and improve your funnel performance

If you’re serious about strengthening your marketing and making sure your business shows up when it matters most, this episode is for you.

🔗 Learn more about digital marketing solutions at hibu.com

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more practical tips to help your small business succeed!

#customerjourney #smallbusinessmarketing #digitalmarketing #marketingstrategy

➜ Listen to Small Business Small Talk powered by Hibu on all your favorite podcast listening platforms as well as on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W15SWiSoVaw&list=PLfrGu6aZ9uNyopCcBjKS68Sp_OY7IpduP

Ready to take your local business to the next level? In this video, we break down three essential marketing mindsets to help you get found online, reach the right customers, and make smarter decisions with your digital marketing:

Get Found Online
✔ Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile
✔ Boost your local SEO and listings accuracy
✔ Make sure your website is mobile-friendly, updated, and consistent with your branding
✔ Leverage customer reviews to build trust

Get In Front of the Right Customers
✔ Target your ideal audience with paid search, social, and display ads
✔ Reach customers everywhere they spend time online
✔ Use retargeting ads to stay top of mind and guide them back to your business

Get Into Your Numbers
✔ Track your website traffic, leads, and ROI
✔ Use data and AI insights to identify your best leads and optimize your campaigns
✔ Access all your performance metrics 24/7 with the Hibu Dashboard

________________________

➜ Get a Free Digital Marketing Score for your Small Business: https://hibu.com/free-tools/online-performance-report

➜ GET IN TOUCH:
www.hibu.com
877.237.6120

➜ SOCIALS:
https://www.facebook.com/hibuUS
https://www.twitter.com/hibuus
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hibu
https://www.instagram.com/hibuusa/
https://vimeo.com/hibu

Hibu is a leading provider of synchronized digital marketing for small businesses across America. With Hibu, you get all the digital marketing your business needs, all from a single provider, all working together to maximize results.

#Hibu #marketingsuccess #DigitalMarketing #SmallBusinessMarketing #Hibu #LocalSEO

AI is everywhere – it’s on our phones, it’s in our cars, and it’s definitely having an affect on how customers find your business online. On this episode of Small Business Small Talk, hosts Ian Messinger and Lauren Schenk discuss the growing power of AI with Hibu's Chief Information Officer Ira Klein and Senior Project Manager Gretchen Ast.

They talk through AI's evolution, including machine learning (supervised and unsupervised) and generative AI, and they delve into how Google's AI-generated answers (AIO) has already changed the search results page in a big way, and the importance of SEO, local rankings, and E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) for small businesses.

They also discuss all the ways Hibu is using AI to help clients improve content quality, avoid time-wasting robo-calls, and streamline customer review generation. Hear why it’s important for your small business to adapt to AI's evolving role in search and customer engagement, and how Hibu can help you take the next step.