In recent years, with the spread of smartphones and tablet devices, the number of Internet users has increased significantly, and the Internet has become essential to daily life. It also enriches users’ lives and has a great impact and effect on the business market. In parallel with the spread of the Internet, Google is a global company that has acquired many users by providing innovative services, and if you are an Internet user, you have probably heard of it at least once. Google’s services cover the online market on a global scale, and in addition to content that can be used for a fee, there is also a wide range of content that can be used for free. Among them, there is a free “Google My Business”, an innovative tool for attracting customers to stores, which many companies and marketers use as a PR tool to expand their business.
Here, we will explain in an easy-to-understand manner what Google My Business is, and introduce in detail how to use it and the benefits of using it.
What is Google My Business?
First of all, Google is a major American company that operates and provides online-related services, with a focus on search engines. In addition to search engines, there is a wide range of services that are essential to the modern business industry, such as Google AdSense, a content-linked advertising distribution service, and free email (Gmail). One of the services provided by Google is “Google My Business”.
Google My Business is an innovative service that allows businesses to easily register and modify their store information online, and display the registered information online for free.
In addition, Google My Business has content such as “Store-based” and “Non-store-type services” as services for marketers who do not own a physical store, and it also has a support system that allows you to operate Google My Business with peace of mind.
How to use Google My Business
Now, let me show you how to actually use Google My Business.
Obtain “Owner Verification” for administrator business information
To use various features of Google My Business, you must complete “owner verification” of the administrator’s business information. If “owner verification” is not completed, various functions will be severely restricted and you will not be able to use all functions. Be sure to complete “owner verification” to unlock various functions.
Basically, “owner verification” of business information is carried out by postcard. Please also note that only when marketers who operate “in-store home” or “non-store-type services” use Google My Business, they can choose to approve “owner verification” by phone or email. Let’s go.
Various menus on the Google My Business management screen
After completing Google My Business registration, you will be able to check the general management screen. Within this screen, there are various advanced function menus of Google My Business. Marketers can start using Google My Business by selecting a menu of functions that suit their business goals. The functions provided in the menu are introduced below.
◦Post: You can post the latest store information, held events, etc. ◦Information: You can edit store information to be posted on Google search or Google Maps ◦Insight: Check numerical data when users view store information ◦Reviews: You can check and reply to reviews posted by users ◦Messages: You can view and respond to messages sent to your store by users ◦Photos: You can add and delete photos used in Google My Business ◦Products: Can add and manage product images to be posted ◦Website: Can create and manage a simple store homepage ◦User: Can add and delete administrator business information
In order to use the above functions, it is a prerequisite that “owner verification” has been completed, so please be careful when starting operation.
Advantages of using Google My Business
Google My Business, which is a free service, is attracting attention as a way to attract customers. We will explain in detail the benefits of using Google My Business.
You can manage and operate your company’s “accurate information”
Google Maps, one of Google’s most popular services, has a mechanism that allows store information to be registered by a third party other than the administrator. However, if a third party other than the administrator is able to manage store information, there is a risk that incorrect information will be posted.
Google My Business is controlled to prevent third parties from directly registering information. As a result, you can manage and operate your own business without the involvement of third parties, making it possible to deliver accurate business information to users.
You can interact with highly sensitive users
Since you can view user reviews and questions, you can easily understand the good points, bad points, and service requests of your company’s services. It is also difficult to absorb the real voices of users in physical stores. However, by using Google My Business, you can accurately improve your company’s services in a short period of time.
You can highlight the appeal of your store
By using Google My Business, you can distribute event and campaign information and post store photos, allowing you to maximize the appeal of your company’s services. By posting various detailed information, you will be able to differentiate yourself from other companies and attract the interest of users, which will increase the possibility of leading to customers visiting your store.
You can conduct customer attraction activities for free.
Google My Business is a free tool. Therefore, you can promote your services on Google search and Google Maps without spending any money. It can be expected to be a useful tool, especially for companies and marketers who find it difficult to allocate costs to customer attraction activities.
However, registering with Google My Business does not immediately lead to increased recognition or increased customer attraction. You need to update and correct your registered information on a daily basis and keep your photos and information fresh in order to grow your Google My Business.
Possible to create a simple homepage
By using the “Google Website Builder” feature within Google My Business, you can create a mobile-friendly homepage on your computer or smartphone. The production process can be started using steps that can be easily created by smartphone users.
It is possible to analyze the effect of attracting customers.
By using Google My Business, you can analyze the effectiveness of attracting customers. To take advantage of the analysis features, use the “Insights feature”. You can check detailed analytical figures such as the number of user inquiries, number of searches, and number of times displayed on the map for free.
Points to improve your ability to attract customers with Google My Business
Google My Business is a tool that allows you to easily start attracting customers without any specialized knowledge. In recent years, many companies have been using Google My Business, making it a highly competitive tool. Among them, we will introduce in detail the points to improve your ability to attract customers.
Enrich the available content
A typical point to improve your ability to attract customers is to enrich the content that can be used within Google My Business. There are various types of content that can be used to approach users, but in addition to store introductions, it is necessary to include formal information such as address, business hours, phone number, etc. that will give users an advantage when searching for a company. By clearly writing basic information, you can increase the number of points of contact with users and expect to attract more customers to your business.
Update the information in the content regularly
To improve your ability to attract customers, you need to regularly update the registration information in your content. Many users tend to want accurate and up-to-date information. If registration information is not updated, users will not be as responsive and are more likely to leave your business.
Regular updates also have the advantage of increasing your ranking on Google and making it easier to appear higher in searches. Be sure to update your information regularly to lower the hurdles to acquiring potential customers.
Make sure to post attractive images
Google My Business allows you to post store images and images related to your services. Using images to promote your business has great power and expands the possibility of improving your ability to attract customers. Therefore, be sure to post attractive images that will attract users’ interest.
In particular, for restaurants and interior goods stores, posting images of delicious-looking food and the interior design of the store will expand the user’s image and improve the ability to attract customers.
Reply to reviews from users
The review tool from users within Google My Business is also a major factor in attracting customers. When a user actually purchases a product or uses a service, they may post a review about the product or service using a review tool. Another advantage is that the more reviews you get, the higher your Google ranking will be.
There is no doubt that by responding carefully to real user feedback, you will be able to communicate with users and gain trust in your business.
Additionally, new users often consider using the service based on user reviews, so responding to reviews plays a very important role.
Link your homepage with Google My Business
Google My Business allows you to link your own homepage. Users conduct a search, and when they find a store they are interested in, they dig deeper into store information. In such a case, if you link your company’s homepage to Google My Business, you will be able to transition to your company’s homepage without confusing users, and you will be able to lead important users into your company’s territory. This increases the possibility of acquiring new customers and expanding services.
Points to note when attracting customers with Google My Business
Google My Business has many benefits as a free tool that can be used to attract customers, but there are some points to keep in mind when actually using it. We will introduce some points to keep in mind when attracting customers.
Unable to freely select images to display
The images displayed on Google Search and Google Maps are determined by Google’s own algorithms, so marketers cannot choose which images to display. Additionally, if images are not posted on Google My Business, there is a risk that images unrelated to your store or service will be posted and made public. It is important not to leave the image posting function unused just because you cannot freely choose the image to be posted, and to always register attractive images that may lead to attracting customers to Google My Business.
It is not always possible to delete reviews from users.
Reviews from users affect store branding, and the more positive reviews you have, the more trust you will gain from users, which will give you an advantage in providing services. On the other hand, there is also the possibility that negative reviews will be posted. If a review is too negative, you can request Google to remove it, but Google will make the decision to remove it. Therefore, please note that it is not always possible to delete the reviews you want.
Reviews that may actually be subject to deletion include “spam, falsehoods, personal complaints unrelated to store information, those that violate the law, and baseless slander.”
summary
We have explained the features of “Google My Business” and how to actually use it. With the spread of the Internet, the Internet business market will continue to expand. As the number of Internet users increases, companies and marketers must provide business and services to a huge number of users. However, in today’s crowded world of competitors, there is a possibility that your company’s services will be lost before they reach users. Why not take full advantage of the innovative tools of Google My Business to differentiate yourself from other companies and create points of contact with many users? Let’s operate the free “Google My Business” that we introduced this time to build the foundation of your company and expand the possibility of improving your ability to attract customers.