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Tips and tricks for managing your business with Google’s solutions
Answer customer questions on Google
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Planning a visit to a local business can raise questions ranging from “Does this restaurant provide high-chairs?” to “What accessibility accommodations does this B&B offer?” When looking for answers, 82% of people turn to search engines, but they often have a hard time finding accurate, up-to-date information
.
1
That’s why Google is bringing Questions and Answers to local business listings.
As a business owner, you have the most reliable answers to your customers’ questions and we want to make it easy for you to receive and respond to those questions. That’s just what Questions and Answers lets you do. To start using it, just search for your business on your mobile phone and go to the Questions and Answers feature on your Google business listing.
Questions and Answers offers new ways for you to engage with your customers:
Add frequently asked questions
to your listing
so that mobile users who find your business on Google Search and Google Maps can easily get the answers to your customers’ most common questions.
Answer questions from potential customers
on Google Search and Google Maps on your mobile phone. If you have Google Maps on Android, we‘ll also send you a push notification when a new question has been asked about your business so you can post an answer instantly.
Highlight top responses.
Beyond FAQs and your own responses, customers are also able to answer each other’s questions. You can highlight the most helpful answers from your customer community by using the thumb to bump them up to the top of the list.
If you’re not using Google My Business yet,
sign up
and start managing your free business listing on Google. Once you’ve verified your business, you’ll be ready to start posting and answering questions. To learn more, visit the Google Maps
Help Center
.
Posted by Lisa Wang, Product Manager, Google Maps
1. Google.
Google Consumer Barometer
,
2017.
Make your business stand out on Google with Posts
Thursday, June 22, 2017
With 82% of people turning to search engines to find local information
,
1
your Google listing is the ideal place to showcase what is unique about your business. Even when customers know exactly what they're looking for, they still want to get to know the business and see what it has to offer. That’s why Google My Business is bringing Posts to local businesses — an easy way to help attract new customers and build relationships with the customers you already have.
Posts appear on your Google business listing. Customers can tap
to read the full post, and they can also share your post with their friends
directly from Google.
Posting on Google gives you new ways to engage with your customers:
Share daily specials or current promotions that encourage new and existing customers to take advantage of your offers.
Promote events and tell customers about upcoming happenings at your location.
Showcase your top products and highlight new arrivals.
Choose one of the available options to connect with your customers directly from your Google listing: give them a one-click path to make a reservation, sign up for a newsletter, learn more about latest offers, or even buy a specific product from your website.
Seventy percent of people look at multiple businesses before making a final choice
.
2
With Posts, you can share timely, relevant updates right on Google Search and Maps to help your business stand out to potential customers. And by including custom calls-to-action directly on your business listing, you can choose how to connect with your customers.
“Posts definitely helped our business because a lot of people look us up through Google. When they do, they want to see the vibe of the place. Being able to post directly to Google allows them to see the reviews and get a feel for the shop all in one spot.” -
Cut & Grind,
London, UK
“As a small business, we don’t have a ton of resources. We post with the intention of engaging new and existing customers, informing them of new therapists and services we offer as we expand our business. The posts help us stand out in a unique way and allow us to differentiate ourselves from our competition.” -
Just Mind
, Austin, TX
“Posts are worth my time because with limited effort you can get something fresh that is reaching people's eyes. 1,100 people saw my last post. Getting information out to the customers is big for this kind of business, letting them know we have bikes or different sporting goods they may not be aware of.”-
Play It Again Sports,
Saint Paul, MN
If you’re a Google My Business user, you can start posting
right now
.
Posts can be created on-the-go using the Google My Business Android and iOS apps or website.
If you’re not yet using Google My Business,
sign up
and get started today managing your business listing on Google. Once you’ve verified your business, you’ll be ready to start posting. To learn more, visit the Google My Business
Help Center
.
Posted by Rosa Wu, Product Manager, Google My Business
1 Google.
Google Consumer Barometer
.
2014/2015.
2
Google.
Google Consumer Barometer
.
2014/2015.
This National Small Business Week, Build Your Online Skills with Lessons from the Pros
Monday, May 1, 2017
The web is helping small businesses grow. As the place where people turn to learn, discover, find, and buy things, it’s connecting customers to small businesses and small businesses to customers. Being online can have a big impact–in fact, businesses that are online grow 40 percent faster and are twice as likely to create new jobs than those that remain
offline.
1
We see the power of the web working for American small businesses. Millions of small businesses are found on Google Search and Maps every single day across the nation.
With a little bit of elbow grease and the help of technology, we believe every business can grow online. So together with our partners, we’re continuing our mission to help make that happen.
Through our
Get Your Business Online
initiative, we’re bringing together free resources and tools to help you this National Small Business Week and beyond.
Learn from the pros through bite-sized lessons
Build your online business and marketing skills with five-minute lessons from
Primer
, our free mobile app. To celebrate National Small Business Week, we’re happy to announce new lessons created by small business experts
Anita Campbell
,
John Jantsch
,
Ramon Ray
, and
Rhonda Abrams
. Each has created a special lesson from their decades of experience working with and coaching small businesses. We’re also excited to share
new web-based lessons
.
Get your business online
Be where your customers are. Get your free listing on Google Search and Maps. Show pictures of your business, list your hours, and add your phone number so customers can just click to call you or get directions. Businesses with complete listings are considered twice as
reputable.
2
Use this
handy tool
to get started.
Make sure your website works on mobile
Did you know that more than half of all Google searches happen on mobile phones? Mobile shoppers want quick results–53 percent say they’ll wait no more than three seconds before abandoning a
site.
3
How fast does your website load? Use the free
Test My Site tool
to see how well your site works on mobile. We’ll email you a personalized assessment with specific recommendations on how to make it better.
Want even more?
During National Small Business Week (and throughout the year), Google and our partners are hosting in-person workshops to help you grow your business online.
Find a workshop near you
.
Small businesses are the heart of our communities. Thank you for making the places we call home, home.
Happy National Small Business Week.
www.google.com/smallbusinessweek
Posted by Soo Young Kim, Head of Marketing, Get Your Business Online
1
BCG Report,
The Connected World: The $4.2 Trillion Opportunity
, March 2012.
2
Google
/Oxera,
The Benefits of Complete Business Listings
,
December 2014.
3 Google Data, Global, n=3,700 aggregated, anonymized Google Analytics data from a sample of mWeb sites opted into sharing benchmark data, March 2016.
Think With Google
.
4 Things Small Businesses Should Know in A Mobile-First World
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
At the Google Performance Summit, we
announced
several new trends and product innovations that highlight mobile opportunities for advertisers. Here are the main takeaways for small businesses looking to make the most of the new mobile world:
1. Every year, there are trillions of searches on Google and over half of those searches happen on mobile.
More searches happen on mobile than on desktop computers – which is no surprise when we think about our own behavior as consumers. Throughout the day, whenever we want to buy, learn or go, we turn to our phones first.
2. Mobile is local. Nearly one third of all mobile searches are related to location, and that number is growing.
Whether they’re researching pizza delivery on Friday night or trying to find an orthodontist near their pre-teen’s middle school, consumers are using mobile to direct their actions in the local world. Thirty-two percent of consumers say that location-based search ads have led them to visit a store or make a purchase
1
. For small business serving customers in their area, mobile ads can offer a vital opportunity to connect with customers.
3. New local search ads help businesses bring customers right to their door.
As we announced at the Google Performance Summit, businesses using location extensions in AdWords can
prominently display their business location
when consumers search for things like “dentist” or “car repair shop near me” while on-the-go.
We’re also testing new local ad formats that make it easier for users to find businesses as they navigate on Google Maps. Consumers may start seeing experiments like promoted pins that allow businesses to strengthen their brand presence in maps.
4. AdWords is designed to help you succeed in a mobile-first world.
We also introduced innovations in both text and display ads to help AdWords work harder for you on smartphone screens. Look for these upgrades coming soon:
New expanded text ads in AdWords provide extra ad space so you can showcase more information about your products and services before the click. The key changes include more prominent headlines and a longer description line in your text ad.
Responsive ads for display will adapt to the diverse content, shapes and sizes of the more than two million publisher sites and apps on the Google Display Network. Just provide headlines, a description, an image, and a URL, and AdWords will create beautiful ads for you that looks good on every device and site.
To learn more about other exciting ads and analytics innovations announced at the Google Performance Summit, watch the livestream keynote
here
.
Posted by Soo Young Kim, Head of Marketing, Get Your Business Online
1. Google/Ipsos MediaCT/Purchased, Research: Understanding Consumers’ Local Search Behavior, May 2014
From Workshops to the Web: Small Business Week Lessons For Your Business
Thursday, May 12, 2016
‘I love the idea of somebody Googling “Magnolia Abbey,” and being able to see my shop, and the interior, and know exactly where I am if they are local or coming through town,’ said Julianne Wall owner of
Magnolia Abbey
in Huntsville, AL. This National Small Business Week, Julianne was one of the many small business owners able to get her business on Google Search and Maps.
In celebration of National Small Business Week, Google and its local partner organizations hosted 888 free workshops helping 15,000 businesses from San Rafael, CA to Memphis, TN to Jersey City, NJ. Business owners learned about the benefits of adding photos to their listing, the changing landscape of mobile consumer behavior and how advertising online with Google can help them find new customers.
Last week, Google Agency Partners educated businesses about user trends and “The 10 Ways to Grow Your Business Online.” This interactive workshop was just one example of the hundreds held across the country for National Small Business Week.
National Small Business Week might be over, but there’s still an opportunity for businesses to attend workshops and access resources online. Google's Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map program works all year long to strengthen our communities by connecting businesses directly with local experts. Over 3,000 local partners host workshops and help businesses throughout the year to help them grow their business online. We also recently introduced
online workshops
so businesses can choose the lesson that’s right for them - whether it’s to learn how to get found on Google Search and Maps, get a custom email address, or promote their business with AdWords Express.
Google and our partners are #AllforSmallBiz and continuously support businesses in local communities, so it’s never too late to get your business online. Learn more at
gybo.com/workshops
.
We’re #AllForSmallBiz This National Small Business Week
Thursday, April 21, 2016
We’ve all been there: It’s Taco Tuesday and you promised to bring that new smoky hot sauce everyone’s talking about, but you have no idea where to find it. Ten years ago, you would have had to drive home and search for a store on your desktop computer or call a friend for help. Today, you can solve the problem just by grabbing your phone and saying “OK Google…”
As a result, you shop differently now, and so do your customers. Most people research online before buying anything – and 93% of people who search on their phone go on to make a purchase.
1
As a small business owner, you want your customers to be able to find you, so you need to be there during the moments when they’re looking for something you have to offer. And we’re here to help. During National Small Business Week (May 1-7), Google is excited to help every business get online and every community show they’re #AllForSmallBiz. We’re partnering with organizations all over the country – from Alaska to Iowa to Puerto Rico – to host hundreds of workshops to help you learn how to get your business online and you’re invited:
google.com/smallbusinessweek
.
In these local workshops, we’ll show you how you can reach your customers in those important moments. You’ll learn how to update your information on Google Search and Maps, build a no-charge mobile-optimized website and more, so that you can connect with people no matter where they are or on which device they’re searching.
Can’t make a workshop in person? Starting May 1, Google will offer a collection of online resources to help small business owners learn how to get on the web and in front of customers who are searching online and on the go.
The time is now. Consumer behavior is changing quickly, but more than half of all small businesses don’t have a website.
2
Join us and learn how to get your business online so that you can be found when customers are searching and shopping – no matter what device they use. Sign up for a workshop at
google.com/smallbusinessweek
. From our team to yours, Happy Small Business Week!
Claire Mudd, Head of Americas SMB Marketing
1. Google/Nielsen, "Mobile Path to Purchase" study, November 2013
2. Google/Ipsos, "Survey of businesses with under 250 employees", October 2013
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