As you may be aware, the most popular search engine by far is
Google. Furthermore, people searching for goods, products, services and
businesses on their smartphone now exceeds tablet and desktop search. Factor in
the 55% of adults in the UK who regularly use Google Street View and it doesn’t
take a huge leap to realise that, if you’re a business owner, you should be
incorporating Google Business View into your marketing strategy.
If you haven’t heard of it, simply think of Google Business
View as like Street View only for your business. It allows for potential
customers to search for your business and then take a virtual tour directly
inside your premises. If you haven’t signed up to Google Business View yet,
here are four reasons why you should:
1.
Google Business View increases the size of your business in search.
If your business is signed up to Google Business View and
Google Business Photos, your listing stands out and expands on the page. Google
servers expand your listing and knowledge graph, meaning that any potential
customers are immediately drawn to your business. Images and information such
as opening times increase in size, stand out against your competitors and
greatly improves the likelihood of those potential customers contacting you to
find out more. Making your business more visually appealing in Google listings
significantly increases calls to your business and traffic to your site.
2.
Google Business View makes your business much more likely to be discovered
When you use Google Business View, not only will your
business premises appear in Google Maps, but it will also appear in organic
Google search and on your Google+ Local page. These three access points, plus
Pegman, make your business much more visible and prominent and so much more likely
that potential customers will get in touch.
3.
Google Business View makes your business more familiar to customers.
If potential customers have clicked onto your business and
taken a virtual look around, they are much more likely to engage with you. They
already feel like they know your premises, are familiar with the layout and
have seen your products for sale and on display. The immersive experience of
Google Business View, particularly if potential customers are near your
premises and using mobile search moves them much further down the sales funnel.
Virtually checking out your business premises on Google Business View
beforehand goes a long way toward creating the essential ingredient between you
and your customer: Trust.
4.
Google Business View can be integrated with social Media.
When you start using Google Business View, promote it on your
social media channels. Show a clip on your You Tube channel, promote it on your
Facebook business page, tweet about it. If you use Instagram, why not have a
spot the product competition? Upload Instagram images of products that can be
seen on the Google Business View virtual tour. Not only does Google Business
View make your business much more visually appealing in Google listings and
search, but it also greatly enhances your social media business profiles too.
One, two, three, four:
So isn’t it about time that you started using Google Business View?
