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How to Get Your First Local Customers in Sacramento
Get your first local customers: set up and verify a Google Business Profile, build a simple website, use your network, and ask for honest reviews the legal way.
Last reviewed October 20, 2026 · 6 min read
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Your first customers often come from people who already know you and from local search. These steps cost little or nothing.
What you'll need
A Google Account (Google suggests using your business email domain)
Your business name, category, phone, and website
Your service area (cities or ZIP codes), if you go to customers
A short description of what you do and who it's for
A few clear photos of your work
How do I get my first customers, step by step?
Create your Google Business Profile. Sign in, enter your business name, and choose a category. Google asks if you have a location customers can visit.
Set your service area if you travel to customers. Google lets you add up to 20 service areas. It recommends keeping your area within about 2 hours' driving time of your base. If you don't serve customers at your address, Google says to remove it from your profile.
Verify your profile. Google says customers can only find your profile after verification.
Build a simple website. Say what you do, where you serve, how to contact or book you, and your prices or "starting at" rates. Already have a site? We'll look at it with you on a free website check.
Tell your network. Send a short, direct message to friends, past co-workers, and neighbors. Say what you offer and who it's for.
Show up locally. Go to community events, farmers markets, and neighborhood groups where your customers already are. Bring business cards with your website and booking link.
Ask for honest reviews. Ask every customer, with a direct link to your profile.
What should my website include?
Google's SEO Starter Guide offers simple tips that help people and search engines understand your site:
Write a clear title for each page. Google says a good title is unique to the page, clear, concise, and accurately describes the page.
Use descriptive link text. Link text tells users and Google what the linked page is about.
Use descriptive URLs. Words in the web address can help.
Write for people first. Answer the questions your customers ask.
For a local service business, a strong home page usually covers: what you do, the cities you serve, how to contact you, and why to pick you.
What are the rules for reviews?
The FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials (16 CFR Part 465, published August 22, 2024) applies to businesses. Under it, a business may not:
Write or sell reviews that misrepresent that the reviewer exists or used the product or service. A review written by AI and posted as if it came from a real customer would fall here.
Give money, discounts, or other incentives for reviews that express a particular sentiment, positive or negative.
Post reviews by officers or managers without clearly disclosing their relationship to the business.
Suppress negative reviews while claiming the reviews shown are all or most of them.
You can ask all your customers to post honest reviews. The rule exempts general requests to customers to share their experiences.
What it costs
ItemGoogle Business Profile
CostFree (Google says creating a profile is free)
ItemSimple website
CostDomain and hosting fees vary by provider
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Free (Google says creating a profile is free) |
| Simple website | Domain and hosting fees vary by provider |
How long it takes
TaskCreate a Business Profile
TimeOne sitting, plus verification time
TaskService area edits
TimeGoogle says up to 48 hours to show, if approved
TaskWebsite changes in Google Search
TimeA few hours to several months, per Google
| Task | Time |
|---|---|
| Create a Business Profile | One sitting, plus verification time |
| Service area edits | Google says up to 48 hours to show, if approved |
| Website changes in Google Search | A few hours to several months, per Google |
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Fees and rules change, so please check the linked official pages before you file or pay.
Questions people ask
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Google does not charge to create a Business Profile. Google says customers can only find your profile after you complete verification, so finish that step.
I work from home. Do I have to show my address on Google?
No. Google says if you do not serve customers at your business address, you should remove the address and set a service area instead. You can add up to 20 service areas.
Can I offer a discount for a 5-star review?
No. The FTC rule on consumer reviews (16 CFR Part 465) bans giving incentives for reviews that express a particular sentiment, positive or negative. You can ask all customers for honest reviews.
How long until my website shows up on Google?
Google says some changes can show up in a few hours and others can take several months. It suggests waiting a few weeks to judge whether a change helped.
We will look at the site you already have and email what to fix first.
Get a free website checkWords to know
Google Business Profile: Your free business listing on Google Search and Maps.
Service area: The cities or ZIP codes where you travel to customers.
SEO: Search engine optimization. Making your website easy for Google to understand and show.
Sources
- Create a Business Profile on Google - Google Business Profile Help · support.google.com
- Google Business Profile (free Business Profile) · google.com
- Manage your service areas - Google Business Profile Help · support.google.com
- SEO Starter Guide - Google Search Central · developers.google.com
- 16 CFR Part 465 - Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (eCFR) · ecfr.gov
- Marketing and sales - U.S. Small Business Administration · sba.gov
This is general information for Sacramento and Northern California businesses. We are not attorneys or tax advisors, and this is not legal or tax advice. Check the official sources, and a local pro, before you act.