We're launching Local Boost by Criterian: our first venture to help local businesses attract more customers

At Criterian we believe technology only makes sense when it solves real problems. Local Boost is born from exactly that: helping local businesses attract more customers by connecting the channels where buying intent already happens.

For years many businesses have understood digital presence as having a website. But the local market has shifted. Today, customers search on Google Maps, compare options nearby and message via WhatsApp expecting a fast response.

The challenge is no longer just being online. The challenge is turning that interest into appointments, bookings, calls or new customers.

From digital presence to real acquisition

Local Boost started with a simple hypothesis: many local businesses don't have a sufficiently optimised digital presence and could benefit from a fast, clear, conversion-oriented website.

However, validating the offer with real businesses surfaced an important learning: a website on its own isn't always perceived as a differentiator.

For many businesses, the problem isn't only whether they have a website. The problem is that customers come from different channels, message via WhatsApp, ask about availability, prices or services, and many of those conversations aren't answered in time or followed up on.

That's where the opportunity is.

Google Maps, WhatsApp and AI as a system

Local Boost evolves into a local acquisition system connecting three key pieces:

• Google Maps, to improve local visibility.
• WhatsApp, to turn interest into conversation.
• AI and automation, to respond, filter and organise opportunities.

On top of that, a CRM lets you log contacts, follow up and understand which channels generate real opportunities.

The goal isn't to build another website. The goal is for every search and every message to have a better chance of becoming an appointment, a booking or a new customer.

A venture built from learning

Local Boost also represents how we build at Criterian: launch, validate, learn and evolve.

The first version helped us better understand how local businesses buy, which channels they really use and where they feel the most friction. From there, the offer has been refined into a model more connected to measurable outcomes.

It's not about selling technology for technology's sake. It's about designing a solution that helps real businesses respond better, organise themselves better and acquire customers better.

What's next

The new chapter of Local Boost focuses on helping local businesses turn their digital presence into a more effective commercial system.

We'll keep evolving the solution around three principles:

• Clearer local acquisition.
• Faster response.
• More organised, measurable follow-up.

Because for a local business, every search, every call and every message can be an opportunity. Local Boost exists so that fewer opportunities slip through.