To boost your profits and cultivate new opportunities as we move out of lockdown, you'll need to make sure that new customers keep coming through your door. Therefore, it's crucial that prospective clients in the local area can find your business with ease. One of the simplest (and cheapest) ways to ensure that people in your area can find your company is to use Google My Business. What exactly is this service and how can you use it to grab a larger slice of your local market?
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free to use online business directory service, which was formed from three former Google services: Google+ Business Pages, Google Listings, and Google Places for Business. If you use this service, you'll be able to create a business profile which includes information that potential customers need, such as your contact details and your daily opening hours. You can add photos of your store or office and the products that you sell, as well as details of any promotions that you're running. You can update your profile via your web account or the service's app, and use the Insights feature to track how many people have viewed your business's details.
The service is designed for use by companies who either have a physical presence (e.g. an office that customers can visit or a bricks-and-mortar store) or who travel to their customers to deliver goods or services. It isn't suitable for companies that only operate online. If you don't already have a business website, you can set up a basic one through Google. However, this should only be seen as a temporary measure. Your website should be the focal point of your online marketing strategy, so it's worth having one that's been professionally designed and strategically thought out.
The Advantages of Using Google My Business
Creating a Google My Business profile will improve your company's visibility on both Google Search and Google Maps. This will increase the likelihood that people in your area will discover it when searching for local suppliers of the products or services you provide. According to Google, companies with complete Google My Business profiles are 38 per cent more likely to entice potential clients to visit their premises as those who don't, so it's a handy lead generation tool. Your customers will also be able to leave reviews on your profile. If they're satisfied, you could benefit from extra sales, while responding appropriately to negative reviews will show prospective clients that you care.
Finally, utilising Google My Business will enhance your digital marketing efforts. Your website address will be on your profile, so you could benefit from additional traffic, and you may find that your site's search engine rankings improve.
What Next?
If you really want to maximise your local sales, you'll need to use Google My Business as part of a far wider inbound marketing strategy. To find out more about how to create a successful and affordable plan, get in touch with JDR today.
Image source: Pixabay
