Google Business Profile is a business listing platform that many companies are familiar with but aren’t always sure how to use or how it benefits them. This article is here to answer some of the common questions.
Google Business Profile Basics
The Google Business Profile platform is a great internet resource that makes it easy for customers to find your local company with a simple search.
The first thing to know about Google Business Profile is that getting a listing on this platform is free! All that’s needed is a Google account. If you don’t already have one, navigate over to the Google Business Profile page, set up your business information, and give yourself about an hour to fill out all of the requested information, just to be on the safe side. Google Business Profile is terrific for companies who want to generate more business from their local area without spending a small fortune.
The best part of this is that when your customers are looking for businesses in their neighborhood, your company has a chance to show up in top results.
When you consider that nearly half of consumers say they often use search engines to find local businesses, it’s clear that having a Google Business Profile listing gives you a solid chance to show up in front of your customers when they’re looking for you.
After all, if a customer is just a few short clicks or a voice command away from getting directions and calling your company, there’s an excellent chance that your online presence will persuade them to choose your business over all others.
Make It Easy For Potential Clients To Find You
A statistic that’s even more enticing for company owners who want to drive more local business is that people doing a mobile search are twice as likely to call a business from their device. Moreover, if directions are readily available, the likelihood of an in-store visit jumps to over 60%.
For this reason, ensuring all the published data on your Google Business Profile listing is accurate is of utmost importance.
If your phone number is incorrect, for example, anyone who attempts to call you at this outdated number will not be able to talk to you about their needs.
The same goes if your hours of operation are inaccurate. But, again, you want to take steps to ensure potential customers have open doors awaiting them to handle their business.
And, in recent times, disruptions caused by COVID-19 have been a common problem for companies that have changed their hours, service protocols, or contact information.
If there’s wrong information about your hours or other details available on your Google Business Profile, customers may show up at your business when you’re closed, which makes for a poor user experience. And could create a missed opportunity. It’s a problem easily solved by having current and accurate data on your Google Business Profile listing.
Generally, Google collects business data automatically, leading to errors and omissions if the collected data is wrong.
For this reason, it’s vital to ensure your business information is as accurate as possible and managed professionally. For example, you want to be sure to handle online reviews or to update pertinent information such as your primary website URL, accepted payment methods, product or service offerings, holiday or regular business hours, and availability.
Your Company Profile Page Is An Extension Of Your Brand
Keep in mind that your Google Business Profile listing works as an online representative of your company. Therefore, if you’re not presenting yourself well on the web, it can be challenging for potential customers to take you seriously.
As part of the Google Business Profile platform, customers can leave reviews and weigh in with their experience, which can help build your brand or hurt your image if it’s negative.
While most consumers expect businesses to have negative reviews on their page, you don’t want these comments to look like they dominate your page. That is why it is critical to monitor this feedback and respond professionally, even if the review itself is not 100% positive. Then, you can show the world that your business is mature enough to handle criticism instead of appearing devastated by negative comments by responding calmly and consistently.
Branding And Great Customer Experience Go Hand-In-Hand
When creating your Google Business Profile page, it is essential to remember that this reputation management platform extends your brand, so investing the time and effort to build a strong brand identity is crucial.
If you could use a hand with any aspect of your Google Business Profile, please reach out to the professionals at Interactive Palette to start the conversation today!
