5 reasons why Google My Business account is necessary for small business
Businesses, these days, are all about targeting the most suitable customers online and generating revenues out of them. Now, that is possible only when companies have a prominent online presence, meaning they can be searched easily by prospective customers. In this digital era, businesses may have a number of tools at their disposal-Google analytics, Sales force-to increase their cyber presence, but registering with a Google My Business account could be that first step towards that giant leap of leading the competitive market.
What is Google My Business?
This is a free tool, which is widely preferred by small businesses to create and manage their Google listings that appear as search results on the Google search engine. Consider these facts, today, 3 out of 4 shoppers search online if they wish to find a business. 7 out of 10 make their first purchases from businesses they found on the Internet.
Why use Google My Business?
While some of the reasons why Google My Business proves to be helpful for small businesses have already been discussed, there are many more reasons why it is being favored widely among start-ups and SMEs.
It helps in interacting with customers: Customers love to be heard; that is precisely how businesses grow. If they have posted a review or a complaint, it is essential that companies respond immediately. With Google My Business, this is easy and fast. All businesses have to do is verify with ‘Google My Business’ listing.
It helps in managing the business info: Customers hate to wait- time, which means they would be upset if they found a business closed during their opening hours. Update your status, details about product listings, address, phone numbers, and website URL on GMB and expect happy customers at your doorstep. These statistics will justify our argument. Did you know? 54% of smartphone users look for business hours before setting out for an outlet, 50% look for a local store address so that they can visit and buy in-store. 45% of tablet or desktop users ensure that the product they are looking for is available at a local store or not before setting out to buy a product.
Advertise, absolutely free! Yes, you heard it right. If you are an entrepreneur and are running a boutique from a non-descript location, list yourself on GMB. So, when people search for the best boutiques near me, your store will appear in the local searches. If you have not listed yet, people may not know that you exist and would instead choose a place that is farther from their residences. So, it’s a loss at both the ends. Do not forget to update the review section, because that helps the customer to judge your products. Moreover, if you have linked your Google + page to the GMB listing, you can even publish posts, content, competitions, and promotions.
It is a small way to expand your business: GMB does much of the work while you sit back and relax. While local searches are becoming prominent day by day, GMB can provide fruitful insights on how your page is performing and how people are finding your listing.
Track your audiences: Google My Business can also help in tracking the prospective target audiences who are showing interest in your business from various locations. This will help you in building targeted ads for them. You can check who is looking for directions to your shop or posting a query regarding a product. Consider this. 18% of local searches buy a product within a day. Also, 50% of consumers visit a store within a day of conducting a local search.
