Web Strategy Conundrum

[peteandmikey]

I run a business that offers eco friendly screen printing. Let's call it ECO SHIRT SHOP.  We offer a specialized type of printing thru the website, then contract to printers throughout the US to execute the printing. (They each have their own distinct print businesses that they operate as well.) As of now we only divulge that we have print facilities in places like chicago, seattle, etc.  but do not display addresses as we do not want to confuse customers.

By not displaying these addresses, I feel we are missing huge opportunities to be listed by services like Yelp, Google places, etc - consequentially losing highly convertible geography specific search traffic.

Ques: The print shops are open to us displaying facility address info, even somehow saying that Print Shop X prints for the ECO SHIRT SHOP network.  I want to be transparent with customers and get more localized traffic, but don't want to confuse operations or give away business.

For all you strategy guru's out there, how would you handle this?  I am at a cross roads, and how we move forward is hugely important for the future of our business.

Thanks, as always for your thoughts on this.

[AlanMosley]

If you have one website, you will only get one location in google places. If you have more then one website you will split your ranking efforts.

do you post these prints to the customer or do they pick them up?

If you post they dont need to know where from

if they pick them up then showing the addresses will IMO get you more business than you will lose,as they will wonder why they cant know up front. Never give a customer anything to be suspicious about, getting a customer online is like trapping a rabbit, one false move and they are out of there.

[EGOL]

If you have one website, you will only get one location in google places. If you have more then one website you will split your ranking efforts.

I agree with Alan.

I would be helping my partners rather than treating them as competitors.  Have you considered helping them with great content for your products? Or linking to them so people in their locality can find them more easily?

[peteandmikey]

Thank you both for your thoughts...

I am all for helping out my printing partners.  We have developed an extensive website with very solid product info.  That's been our strength - and what drives a lot of long tail traffic for us.

My main fear is that if I simply post their addresses as OUR production facilities (which they are) I might in some way confuse the customer.  Worse yet, have them of the mind that we are somehow trying to greenwash our business.  I would like to be transparent without confusing the customers.  Again, I'm happy to mention their names in support of this, just not sure the best way to do it.

Thanks again.... would love to hear more thoughts.

Peter