Local listing management software, also known as location data management or listings management software, gives businesses with brick-and-mortar locations a central hub for managing and updating location data on customer-facing platforms. These listings can include details such as store hours, phone numbers, addresses, and menus, in addition to photos from inside and outside the location. Retail stores, restaurants, and other organizations can leverage these platforms to ensure accuracy of important information, improve visibility, and maximize engagement with customers (at either a single location or across multiple locations). Local listing management tools are commonly used by corporate marketing departments; regional or other high-level management teams who oversee individual or company-wide location listings also utilize the software. Proper use of these platforms helps companies avoid missed business opportunities and forestall upset customers due to a lack of store details or inaccurate and outdated listing information. These products can also offer ways to enhance local listings to further legitimize businesses to potential customers.
Products in the local listing management category may share features of, or integrate with, local SEO software and online reputation management software to improve search rankings and track/engage with local customer reviews on various platforms, respectively. They typically integrate with popular online or mobile app directories, local store web pages, and social networks to ensure brand location data is accurate wherever customers may be searching. In some cases these tools may also provide features of or integrate with business intelligence platforms to produce location-based analytics, as well as various types of marketing software to enhance online visibility and improve both website and in-store traffic. Some products in the local listing management category may integrate with website builders or web content management software to create and manage optimized store pages or microsites.
To qualify for inclusion in the Local Listing Management category, a product must:
- Provide a central view and modification portal for location listings across the web
- Integrate with online and mobile app platforms where customers may search for brick-and-mortar location data
- Facilitate automated or manual listing updates when locations change addresses, phone numbers, store hours, or other location-specific details
- Offer features of, or integrate with, platforms that assist with local marketing and customer engagement
