Exclusive Interview: Rakesh Raghuvanshi on Turning Local Searches into Sales

In a world where local businesses often struggle to stand out in an increasingly digital marketplace, Rakesh Raghuvanshi, the founder of Sekel Tech, has been on a mission to change the way customers discover local stores online. In this exclusive interview with Website Planet, Mr. Raghuvanshi shares the story behind Sekel Tech, its core vision, and how it’s revolutionizing the world of hyperlocal e-commerce.

Sekel Tech's approach centers around solving a significant gap in online local search—something that even Mr. Raghuvanshi himself experienced first-hand. In 2013, he faced frustration when he searched for “shoes near me” and couldn’t easily find a nearby Nike store. This moment of realization sparked the birth of Sekel Tech, a platform designed to help brands show up where it matters most: right in their customers’ neighborhoods. Website Planet spoke to Mr. Raghuvanshi to learn more about how this innovative company is changing the landscape for local businesses.

The Birth of Sekel Tech: Identifying the Gap in Local Search

The idea behind Sekel Tech was born from a personal experience. Mr. Raghuvanshi recalls, “When I searched for ‘shoes near me’ and couldn’t easily find a local Nike store, I realized there was something missing in the world of online discovery.” That moment of frustration led to the creation of Sekel Tech in 2013—aimed at solving the discovery gap between online searches and physical stores. “At that time, Google My Business was also emerging, and we saw an opportunity to support small businesses by helping them bridge the online-offline discovery  gap,” he explains. 

Dive deeper into Sekel Tech with this detailed video guide. "What is Sekel Tech and How Does It Empower Brands & Retailers?"
 

Driving Local Discovery That Converts

As local search trends continue to rise, Sekel Tech provides a solution for businesses to get discovered in today’s competitive digital marketplace. Over 49% of daily Google searches are related to local businesses, highlighting the importance of local visibility. “We help small businesses integrate with our platform, manage their listings, update visuals, and maintain consistency across various directories and social channels,” says Mr. Raghuvanshi. Sekel Tech’s platform combines real-time inventory updates, local product availability, and customer feedback to create a powerful digital footprint that drives engagement and conversions.

Gain more insights with this short and informative video. "Struggling to Get Found Locally? See How Discovery Platform Boosts Footfall & Calls!"
 

The Growing Importance of Local Search

Today, nearly half of all Google searches have local intent. Whether it’s “best mobile store near me” or “buy gold jewellery in [city],” customers are actively searching for products around them.

“Being online isn’t enough,” Mr. Raghuvanshi explains. “Brands need to be present in the right place, at the right time, with the right information.”

Sekel Tech helps them do exactly that—ensuring consistency in business details, real-time product listings, promotions, and customer reviews across platforms. This helps local stores get discovered and drive meaningful engagement with customers.

Enhance your understanding with this informative video. "How Retailers Boost Local Search Rankings & Foot Traffic?"
 

A Platform Built for Commerce

What sets Sekel Tech apart is its clear focus on helping businesses drive results—not just visibility.

“Our platform is built for commerce,” says Mr. Raghuvanshi. “It’s not just about showing up online—it’s about helping customers discover specific products and helping stores attract the right buyers.”

With Sekel Tech, businesses can highlight local offers, display real-time inventory, and engage with customers directly to drive walk-ins, inquiries, and conversions.

Unified Data Platform: Bringing Insights Together

Another key strength of Sekel Tech is its unified data platform, which brings together customer interactions from various touchpoints—search, social media, messaging apps, and physical store visits.

“This gives brands a 360-degree view of their local customers,” says Mr. Raghuvanshi. “It helps them make informed decisions, improve targeting, and offer personalized experiences.”

The platform integrates this data with marketing and CRM tools, allowing brands to run campaigns that are relevant, timely, and effective.

Geofencing: Targeting the Right Audience at the Right Time

One of the standout features of Sekel Tech is geofencing—a way for brands to connect with nearby customers based on location.

“When a customer enters a 1-kilometer radius around a store, we can send them personalized offers or notifications,” explains Mr. Raghuvanshi. “This helps brands reach customers when they are most likely to visit or buy.”

Geofencing also helps brands collect valuable first-party data and build stronger customer relationships through their channels, like apps and WhatsApp.

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How Sekel Tech Delivers a Competitive Edge

Sekel Tech stands out in a crowded market by offering a truly integrated hyperlocal and omnichannel solution. “We are the first to offer an Omnilocal solution, which helps brands manage and promote their local inventory effectively across multiple platforms,” Mr. Raghuvanshi explains. The platform captures real-time data on inventory, pricing, store performance, and customer behavior, syncing it weekly across channels to ensure timely and accurate signals are sent to potential buyers.

The Omnilocal Advantage

Sekel Tech enables businesses to manage hyperlocal engagement at scale—what Mr. Raghuvanshi calls the “Omnilocal” approach.

“Brands want to run local campaigns without losing control or consistency,” he says. “Our platform allows them to manage all stores centrally while customizing messages for each location.”

This approach works well for both large brands and small retailers. Whether you’re managing 1,000 stores or just one, Sekel Tech helps you deliver the right message to the right audience, locally.

Small Business Friendly, Enterprise Ready

While Sekel Tech supports large enterprises, it’s also designed to help small and mid-sized businesses grow.

“We believe every store, no matter the size, should have a fair chance to be discovered,” says Mr. Raghuvanshi. “That’s why our platform is flexible and scalable—so anyone can use it to reach more local customers.”

Transforming Local Presence into Growth

As consumer behavior evolves, brands need to adapt quickly. Sekel Tech is helping them do that with a platform that’s focused, measurable, and built for conversion.

Instead of simply existing online, brands can now take control of their local footprint—ensuring they show up on search, social, maps, and more with the right content at the right time.

- “We’re not just helping people find stores,” Rakesh concludes.

- “We’re helping them find the right product, at the right place, at the right time—and helping brands turn that moment into a sale.”

For the full conversation and more insights into Sekel Tech’s story, read the original Website Planet interview here.

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