Recruitment agencies commonly have one or more physical bases as well as an online presence to shout about what they do. Whilst these are requisite, to both attract and serve clients and job-seekers alike, there's a lot to be said for agencies getting out on foot and into the thick of things in their local community.

According to David Rudick, vice president of international markets at Indeed, understanding your market is vital to remaining ahead of your competitors and staying abreast of postings, etc. Internet research can only go so far – David recommends tapping into the knowledge of regional experts in various industries to really get an idea of what's going on. A network of useful contacts is therefore essential in this regard.

To your clients, also, being visible helps reinforce the 'know, like and trust' factor, far more than if they read about what you do across the net. Having knowledge of trends and the changing landscape for recruitment is also key. Ten years ago, smartphones weren't used to find jobs, yet now, David says, they account for 50% of all traffic in the vacancy-searching process.

Words change across dialects and certain terminology can be familiar to some but not to others; educating yourself on these vital clues is best done first-hand. Getting to grips with differing cultures and approaches to job-seeking is also something hard to relate to if peering from behind a screen, compared to getting amongst the local talent and potential candidates and speaking to them directly. Think of yourself as a 'hunter/gatherer'.

Staying ahead of demand means understanding what, if anything, is likely to change – which it's bound to do. The market won't wait for you.

Whilst being proactive and networking in person helps potential clients and candidates recognise who you are, there's no doubt that you need to have a professional, functional website for when they try and find out more about you online – which they invariably will.

Original article: http://www.recruiter.co.uk/analysis/2014/04/understanding-the-jobseeker-why-the-little-things-mean-a-lot/