In terms of marketing and the internet, Google My Business is not that old. Released in 2014, this valuable, free marketing tool has made its mark on the internet. Any local business or chain store can interact with their customers using this platform. Additionally, Google My Business can improve your online presence and online reputation with little to no additional effort.
However, many businesses fail to use the full benefits of the platform. Failure to maximize the potential will leave you in the same boat as you were before. I am going to help you fix this fault. Throughout this article, I am going to provide you with many of the overlooked features of Google My Business to help you capitalize on its benefits and increase your web presence and online reputation.
Notifications
In addition to you getting notified when a customer leaves a review on your page, they will get a notification when you respond to them. Quite often on review sites, you are rarely informed when a business replies to your feedback. This sets Google My Business in a class of its own.
The number one thing you want to do when you get a review is to reply to it. It makes no difference if it is a positive or negative review. Every customer that leaves a comment about your business deserves a response. Replying lets the customer know that you have read the feedback and find their input valuable. Remember, when you do respond to a comment, you want to ensure that it is personalized to that customer. If you give cookie-cutter responses, people that read the reviews will notice and not take you very seriously. Try to pick out one thing in each comment that you can relate to the customer with. At the end of your reply, give them an email address they can get in touch with you for a more detailed comment should they feel the need.
One last detail about this feature is that you can change your reply for up to five minutes. If you give your response a second, or third, read and notice a grammatical error or feel as you have not conveyed your response to the best of your ability, you can fix it. This is leaps and bounds different than any other review site which offers no such function.
Questions and Answers
Typically, customers will have questions they would like you to answer. This can be anything from holiday store hours to the availability of a product. Questions that are left unanswered can impact your business in ways that you could never previously have imagined. Conversely, answering questions for your customers can bring you more business than you can even imagine.
It seems that many business owners are not aware of this feature or do not take the time to respond. A danger in this practice is that the customer will seek other means of getting their question answered. Any information provided to them by a source other than you has the potential of being loaded with misinformation. This can cause the customer to become deterred from buying your product. It is in your best interest to answer any questions that you notice as soon as possible. In addition to responding to customer comments or feedback, this is just another way to let your customers know you are listening to them. In a world where they may not think big companies want to hear from their customers, I challenge you to be the breath of fresh air they have been looking for.
Descriptions
Descriptions were once a thing on Google My Business, but they disappeared. After countless emails by customers, they are going to be returning to its once former glory. The description section allows you up to 750 words to make a statement that will attract your customers. The description will appear directly below the customer reviews. If you haven’t had the descriptions section return to your profile yet, try to keep patient. They are rolling it out, and it may take some time to appear on your page. If you don’t see it soon, I would consider sending a message to them.
The reason I find this, so incredibly important is you are allowed 750 words to sell yourself or your business to your customers. A carefully crafted description can entice a customer that has never clicked on your page before, to click on your page. After all, the goal of having this page is to drive more customers to your webpage, where they can find full descriptions of your product or services. Additionally, it will allow them to make purchases they can’t make on the Google My Business page.
If you don’t have a knack for writing, don’t fret. You can hire a copywriter to write the words you are unable to articulate. There is a reason these people exist. While you may be good with business, you may not be good with words. They could be the polar opposite of you. Use their expertise to write you a description that your customers won’t soon forget.
Conclusion
And there you have it. While there could be other features that businesses overlook, it is my opinion these are the most important. To show your customers that you care, the above elements should be used to the best of your ability. Any opportunity you have to converse with your client is an opportunity to make a customer for life. By taking full advantage, you can not only build your customer base, but you can build your online reputation. Let’s face it, with the world making more and more moves to be an online-only world; it is best for you to get in on the ground floor. Once the transformation is complete, you will be far ahead of those who did not want or care to have the foresight that you did. I wish you the best of luck in your business and completing your Google My Business profile.