How Hibu Simplifies Marketing for Local Businesses

Most local business owners didn’t open shops because they loved marketing. They pursued their passions — fixing cars, building homes, helping clients with legal matters, or providing health care. Yet many spend precious hours trying to understand the nuances of website optimization, social media and social media campaigns, how to rank prominently in search engines, and online reputation management. For the time- and cash-strapped small business owner, it’s no wonder many are on the hunt for a simpler solution like the ones offered by Hibu.

A closer look at small business data reveals more than 70% of small business owners work beyond the standard 40-hour workweek. The same study also found that 81% of business owners also work nights and 89% work weekends.

When it comes to marketing, 47% of owners handle these responsibilities entirely on their own, with almost half spending less than two hours per week on marketing activities. Interestingly, 46% are unsure whether their marketing strategies are even working. While the documents don’t specifically mention the percentage feeling overwhelmed, they do indicate that 66% of small businesses face financial challenges, with 43% struggling to pay operating expenses.

Hibu: One Solution for Multiple Marketing Needs

Hibu, a U.S.-based digital marketing agency serving over 70,000 customers, specializes in helping companies in essential service industries. The agency works with home repair contractors, auto shops, legal offices, medical practices, and similar businesses needing local visibility.

What differentiates Hibu from other marketing services? The agency packages website development, search engine optimization, social media marketing, and online reputation management into an integrated, proprietary solution designed for small and medium-sized businesses. There are no piecemeal offerings or complicated contracts — just straightforward digital marketing.

“We deliver better results through a complete and diversified digital marketing program that allows small businesses to be found everywhere consumers search and engage,” stated Brad Wegmann, chief commercial officer. “We constantly optimize and monitor campaigns to ensure the best return at all times.”

Hibu implements marketing across multiple digital channels,  creating consistent brand messaging and broader reach for local businesses. This multi-channel approach ensures businesses remain visible regardless of how consumers search.

The company’s tactics extend to reputation management, which is critical for service businesses. Through review request campaigns that encourage satisfied customers to provide feedback, Hibu strengthens brand credibility and search visibility.

This matters particularly for businesses in essential service industries where trust plays a central role in consumer selection. When potential customers search for critical services — whether emergency plumbing repairs, legal assistance, or health care — seeing consistent, positive information across multiple platforms builds consumers’ confidence.

For small business owners already stretched thin, a consolidation of services provides invaluable time savings. Instead of coordinating between multiple marketing vendors or attempting do-it-yourself approaches with steep learning curves, owners can focus entirely on their core business operations.

The AI Search Revolution: New Consumer Behaviors

Recent statistics highlight dramatic shifts in how potential customers find local services. According to market research, 56% of consumers now report using search engines with AI-generated results. Only 37% find these AI-driven results more satisfying than traditional search listings, indicating both opportunity and risk for businesses that fail to adapt.

Consumer expectations continue to evolve. Research shows that 55% of respondents believe AI-powered search technologies make discovering relevant products and services easier. However, 44% remain unaware of or not actively using AI-powered search, creating a split marketplace where businesses must maintain visibility across multiple search environments.

Local businesses that fail to position themselves properly in traditional and AI-driven search environments risk becoming invisible to substantial segments of their potential customer base.

The proof of the agency’s effectiveness comes from businesses experiencing transformational results. A plumbing contractor shared a compelling transformation story after partnering with the agency for digital marketing services. The business owner candidly described the company’s initial digital struggles: “Our online business presence was a mess, and we didn’t know where to start. Our website was terrible, we didn’t own our domain name, and we were stuck in a contract with a company that was supposed to be taking care of it.”

This situation represents a common challenge for small service businesses, where technical expertise often lies in their trade rather than digital marketing. After implementing the agency’s comprehensive digital strategy, the results proved transformative for the plumbing company’s operation. It experienced a doubled call volume and significant website improvements and gained confidence in previously intimidating areas like social media marketing.

The owner’s sentiment reflects the impact of this business partnership: “I honestly couldn’t imagine us going forward in our business without [Hibu].”

For a New England-based garage door specialist fighting against big-box competition, the agency created localized campaigns that highlighted their unique services. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Hibu to manage my business, and the experience has been outstanding. I previously worked with another company that struggled to communicate effectively with Google and couldn’t resolve critical issues despite having the same documents I provided to [the agency]. They resolved the issue seamlessly, ensuring my business operations continued without disruption. On top of that, they built me a fantastic website that truly represents my brand,” stated the owner and operator.

An HVAC owner perhaps summarizes it best in a Hibu review: “Our exposure and website intersections have gone up — way up! The app version and the online page are suited well to coax interactions from new prospective clients in the HVAC services space! The sections and subsections are designed to have the client interact with a clear call to action at the base of each section.

“Phone calls to the company main line, email requests, and even text communications have gone up exponentially even with our ‘keep it organic’ currently low ad spend budget. All the great work to build up our new website was mostly done for us by the HiBu design team with very little help provided from us (pics, phrases, details) as we have been setting all of our attention to other moves that we are making as a company — many moves and changes in compounded timelines and by them taking the reins to move swiftly into a great finished product without much input from us – this has allowed our attention to stay on what we do best – they handle the online site build, exposure, and traffic management while we handle growing and tending to the heating and cooling comfort needs of our community members — Hibu Rocks!”