SALT LAKE CITY — It is estimated that in 2013, 58 percent of American women and 52 percent of men made an online purchase. Americans between the ages of 18-34 each spend an average of $2,000 online every year.

Between our smartphones and our cars, we are more likely than ever to search for a business before visiting it. We can immediately see their hours of operation and get directions. Often, a navigational search can also link us to the company’s website.

According to Scott Romney of LoSoMo, a Florida-based search engine optimization company, businesses large and small must have an online presence. He runs LoSoMo with his wife Veronica, who he met while attending school in Utah.

“Most business owners that are starting up and trying to figure out how to design their online strategy don’t know where to start," he said. "They are getting calls and emails from India and the Philippines offering to help for a monthly fee.”

Often times, the services a new business owner needs are fragmented and multiple companies may be needed to assist. LoSoMo is a one-stop digital marketing company that can handle everything from web design and company logos to SEO and creating social media or email campaigns, according to Scott Romney.

He said it is often much more cost effective for a small business owner to outsource those services rather than hire a full-time employee.

The married couple behind LoSoMo met at a dance club. They run the company together and the qualities that have made for a great marriage have also created the perfect business partnership.

“A lot of our clients are small businesses where they are run by a couple," Veronica Romney said. "The wife may be a dentist and her husband helps with the books. Scott and I compliment one another in business and our clients often like working with a married couple they can relate to."

LoSoMo works with a variety of clients large and small, but their specialty is helping companies focus their efforts locally. As consumers have begun to use their smartphones and cars more often to find businesses, search giants such as Google have optimized their sites to address the mobile consumer.

Even for a large retail chain, it is important that consumers have access to locations in their area without having to visit the website first. A Google search from a mobile device or vehicle, these days, will show addresses, hours and a link to a map first thing. Options to visit the website are often secondary.

Having a business website is only the start. Knowing what traffic it is getting and optimizing for key search terms so consumers can find the site in the first place is paramount. Helping consumers navigate the site in an efficient way makes it more likely customers will buy.

LoSoMo uses a three pronged approach to help business owners, such as Automated Payment Systems and College Hunks Hauling Junk, optimize the online experience for consumers.

3 step approach to increasing online activity for businesses:

Local

Local is the first step. It involves making sure a website shows up on both maps and listings to increases traffic.

Social media

Social media is next. Consumers are increasingly just as likely to learn about a company via social media as they are using a search engine. LoSoMo can manage social media sites for a customer so they can focus on running their business.

Mobile compatibility

Mobile devices now account for approximately 55 percent of all web traffic. If a website is not easily compatible with mobile devices, consumers will look elsewhere.

Today local businesses have a greater ability to compete with national chains because of social media and the internet, according to the Veronica Romney.

“LoSoMo gets what a local business needs in order to overcome the goliath next door," she said. "We help them use the web, maps and social media to help them stay relevant and get their message out.”

LoSoMo provides their services month-to-month and does not require long term contracts.

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