Google My Business Listings
Google My Business
Having a Google My Business listing when you own a business in 2021 is crucial in today’s world as it can be beneficial to raise LOCAL brand awareness. Having an online presence enables you to drive more online traffic to your business and connect with your consumers to provide the ultimate customer service experience.
Why Use Google to Enhance Your Brand/Business?
The name Google has become so prominent in the English speaking language that when we do not know something, we simply get online and type our query within Google’s homepage and within seconds are provided with an answer. In December 2020 Google accounted for at least 91.38% of the global market share for search engines*. So you can see how it has established itself as a prominent business in the online world since its launch in 1998.
Given its large market share online, it would be unthinkable to not want to use this to your advantage. Including your business in the Google search engine will certainly boost web traffic to your website given the large audience you can reach worldwide. Using an SEO company who can provide various ways to highlight your business through local SEO searches to organic or powerful, is the ideal way to get your brand name out into the online world for all to see.
What is a Google My Business listing?
A positive aspect about utilising My Google Business Listing is that it is free to claim your listing, which is certainly better than spending initial and large marketing costs. It enables you to be featured within Google’s business directory, so that when the user types in a query, whether it is for a restaurant, shop or particular goods, your business will show up in the results list, along with your location.
Being able to pinpoint exactly where your business is located in Google maps with the red balloon is very useful for the consumer. If they were searching on their smartphone whilst out and about, it would enable them to find your business within moments, to purchase items or dine out. A particularly useful function for the consumer is the ability to know the opening hours and full street address so that they can make informed decisions whether it is appropriate at that particular time to visit or not. So ensuring this information is up to date is key.
How Will a Consumer Using Google Places Benefit My Business?
Usually the initial stage of a consumer’s search online will be for a particular product or place to visit. If your business appears within their search, then this increases your chances of them purchasing a product from you.
They would be able to plan their day accordingly based on the location of your business and whether it suits their needs. In July 2020, according to Ecommerce Activity Review, 81% of people used the internet to be able to search for a particular product or service*. As a result the ability to do a quick online search is important for the consumer as part of their buying process.
The Advantages of Google Maps
A consumer is likely to do a quick search online for location, opening times and then reviews of your business before even contemplating setting foot onto the premises, due to the ease of doing a quick Google search. In a survey conducted by eMarketer at least 69% of people were inclined to seek out reviews before considering a purchase whilst 53% intimated that they looked for some sort of discount prior to considering a particular business*.
An added feature of Google Maps now is the ability to order a click and collect service. It enables the consumer to organise when and where they will collect their purchase to suit their personal needs. It also speeds up the purchasing time making it far less stressful than having to queue up in store when you are pressed for time. During this pandemic this has been significantly beneficial to allow customers to make a purchase beforehand and collect their item safely from outside the store, (if the business was closed for walk-ins) or instore without the stress of being surrounded by large crowds, which can be a concern for many given the threat of Covid-19 still.
From a business perspective it allows you to provide an updated delivery status for your customer. This is useful for you as you can track the progress of the order and know what needs doing. The customer would then have the ability to leave feedback once the delivery was processed within the same page. Ideally the smoother the buying process is for the customer they more likely are to repurchase from your business.
Need help setting up your Google My Business Page? Click here.
Is Your Business On The Map?
Local Map Listings
The benefit of Google Local Listing is whereby your business appears within the first Google search page. This is possible by typing in keywords which reflect the nature of your business and its location which pops up in the online search. With 75% of people not likely to look past the first page of Google results*, it comes as no surprise that being on the first page is certainly the ideal place to be to boost business sales.
(*25 Mind-Bottling SEO Stats for 2021 & Beyond | SEO Insights | Junto)
Connecting With Customers
Another great feature is the ability for customers to leave feedback regarding your business. This is particularly useful when you run a restaurant or hotel as potential customers are able to see for themselves what experience other people have had and can look at photos that are not professionally taken, to get a better sense of what the surroundings are like.
Ideally you will want to see only positive reviews but at least any negative experiences customers have had, will provide you with the opportunity to address these issues directly with them. A positive is that it will enable you to focus on areas within your business that need addressing so that the problem does not present itself again. Any feedback is better than no feedback to learn and grow as a business.
Get Help With Google My Business
We’ve helped to create hundreds of Google Listings for local businesses just like yours. In nearly all cases registering your business is the quick and easy bit. However, many businesses miss out on all the fantastic benefits that Google My Business has to offer, including a FREE WEB SITE.
To list your business correctly, effectively and take full advantage of the available features then just drop us a line and we’ll take care of it for you while you concentrate an the day to day.
