10 Ways to Get More Local Customers in 2026

More local customers comes down to one thing: showing up, consistently, where nearby people are already looking. Not one clever trick. A handful of small moves done well, most of them free or close to it. Here are ten that work, roughly in the order you should tackle them.

TL;DR

The highest-return moves for a local business are a complete Google Business Profile, listings in trusted local directories, a steady flow of genuine reviews, and a fast mobile site. Layer community presence and partnerships on top. None of it costs much. What it costs is attention, kept up over months.

1. Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile

This is the single highest-return move most local businesses can make. A complete profile, with accurate hours, real photos, your service areas, and the occasional post, is what gets you into the map results when someone nearby searches. Make sure your name, address, and phone number match everywhere they appear online. Want the full walkthrough? Here's the complete guide to your Google Business Profile.

2. Get listed in local directories

Directory listings build two things at once: visibility and credibility. When your business shows up consistently across trusted directories, search engines get more confident about where you are and what you do. List your business on The Local List and you're in a verified Australian directory that locals actually use to find services like yours. If you run a trade, this matters even more, which is why every tradie needs an online presence.

3. Ask for reviews, and respond to them

Reviews are social proof that converts.

• Send a friendly follow-up after a job or sale, with a direct link to leave a review.
• Never pay for reviews or offer an incentive. Fake or incentivised reviews can be misleading conduct under Australian Consumer Law, and the ACCC actively chases businesses that do it.
• Reply to every review, good and bad. A calm, helpful reply to a negative one often reassures future customers more than the complaint puts them off.

4. Build a simple, fast, mobile-friendly website

You don't need a fancy site. A single page that loads quickly on a phone and states what you do, where you are, your hours, and how to book or call will beat a slow, complicated one every time. A .com.au domain signals you're a local Australian business.

5. Use local social media the way locals actually use it

Pick one or two platforms where your customers already spend time, then post genuine photos and useful tips. Don't spread yourself thin across six. Local community groups are quietly powerful here, because that's where neighbours ask each other for recommendations.

6. Partner with complementary local businesses

Find businesses that serve the same customers without competing with you. A gym and a physio. A florist and a wedding venue. Cross-promote, share an offer, co-host an event. It costs nothing and doubles your reach. You can browse complementary local businesses in the directory to spot potential partners nearby.

7. Run a genuinely useful local offer

A first-visit discount, a loyalty card, a seasonal bundle. Frame it as real value, not a desperate fire sale. And keep it clean: advertised prices have to be clear, with any conditions stated up front under Australian Consumer Law.

8. Show up in your community

Sponsor the local footy team. Donate to the school fete. Take a stall at the weekend market. Put your name on clear signage. This keeps you front of mind locally, and it gives you real photos and customer stories to share.

9. Make it effortless to contact and pay you

Friction loses customers. Reduce it:

• Show your phone number prominently and answer quickly.
• Offer online booking and a simple enquiry form.
• Take modern payments, including digital wallets.
• Reply to messages fast.

10. Track what works and do more of it

You don't need fancy analytics. Just ask new customers how they found you. Over a few weeks a pattern appears, and you can pour more time into the channels actually bringing people through the door.

What this means for you

This is a compounding effort, not a one-off campaign. Start with the fundamentals: Google Business Profile, directory listings, reviews, and a fast mobile site. Get those humming before you add community presence and partnerships. Done steadily over a few months, the results stack up. Very early stage? First make sure your business is properly registered so everything you build sits on solid ground.

Next step

Pick one thing from this list and do it this week. If you're choosing, start with directories, because it's quick and it feeds every other tactic here. List your business on The Local List for free, and consider a one-time Premium upgrade if you want featured placement and an SEO backlink.

Sources

• Managing online reviews — ACCC
• Displaying prices — ACCC