Congratulations! You’ve just opened your small business but unless you have had a ton of buzz already, your customers aren’t going to be able to find you easily. One of your first orders of business should be to immediately sign up for a Google My Business Account and claim your business listing. It’s easy to do but it does require some time to accomplish as once you put in all your information, you have to wait for a verification code to arrive in the mail – this is whether you have a bricks and mortar location or not. They need to make sure your business is really where you say it is.
The Knowledge Chart. Once you are verified after a few days you should notice something really cool when you search for your new business on Google – your Knowledge Chart. This will appear on the right side of the page, have a snapshot from your website or social media, along with a map of your location or service area, your contact info, Googe Reviews, hours of operation etc. It makes it easy for your customers to get in touch. So right off the bat, that is a huge bonus for you but that is not the only reason why you need Google My Business.
Google Search. This is especially important for small local businesses. When someone is looking for something, a) they search Google first and b) they will often add their city or town to that search. If Google has that information ready to go, it will raise your startup in search and help you to connect with new customers. The insights for search in your Google My Business dashboard will also tell you HOW customers search for your business on the web which is valuable information. You will see how many people found you by Direct means – by typing in your name or address, by Discovery – by searching a service or product, or by Brand – you pop up when they are looking at a similar company. This information can be especially helpful to you in determining how to target advertising.
Google Website. As an entrepreneur, you should really have your own website, but if you don’t or just want some more information out there about you, fill in the Google website that is offered through Google My Business. The wider your net, the bigger your catch.
Google Insights. There is a wealth of insights available at your fingertips in Google My Business. The dashboard is full of quickly digestible charts like Customer Actions which allow you to see what clients and potential clients are doing once they find you on Google. This is an important look at your sales funnel will help you strategize on how to acquire and retain those people as customers.
Reviews are essential for all businesses and are extra important if your business is service-related. Most people will make their decision on whether or not to consider your business based on what other people are saying about it. Be sure to ask your happy customers to leave you a Google review!
Social Posting. Sure your main audience may be on Facebook or Instagram but it really is easy to add your posts to Google too. The top of your sales funnel is Discovery and you want your new business to be in front of as wide an audience as possible.
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