KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Remember that old kids’ game Hungry Hungry Hippos? Hasbro put it out back in the late ’70s. Four colorful hippos sit around the board, snapping at a pile of marbles in the middle. Each hippo lunges as fast as it can to gobble up more marbles than the others. Pure chaos. A feeding frenzy.

That game is exactly what happens the second your potential customers show they’re ready to buy. The moment they go online and search — whether it’s “near me” or even your business name — every competitor piles in, snapping for that same customer. Just like those hungry hungry hippos.

The Hourglass Flips

Here’s the truth: you don’t just need to be in the game. Once a customer raises their hand — clicking, calling, or searching — the hourglass flips. Time starts running out. And while you’re waiting, your competitors are snapping at the same opportunity, hoping to gobble it up before you do.

You Can’t Just Sit at the Table

In the board game, every hippo gets a seat. But just sitting there doesn’t win you a single marble. The one that chomps the fastest is the one that eats.

Business works the same way. Being “out there” online isn’t enough. You need more of the right people to click on your website. More of the people you want to call you. More of them to walk into your business. At the very least, you need more of the right people to search for you online.

Don’t Let the Competition Gobble Them Up

This is where businesses lose out. They spend money to spark interest, only to watch competitors swoop in at the decision moment and steal the customer away.

If you’re tired of that happening, maybe it’s time to adjust your strategy to focus on getting more of the people you want to click on your website, more of them to visit your business, more to call you, or at the very least more of them to search for you online.