There are so many ways to attract customers to your business in this technology age, and one of them is through google my business. It is a free tool and one of the effective ways to get customers.

Google my business helps to make your business appear on Google search and maps so that prospects and customers can find you. You can add your address, photos, working hours, and anything people might want to know. Your customers can leave their reviews on it to encourage others to do business with you. It is also an important monitoring tool that informs you of those searching for your business.

When people get to the stage of searching for a business like yours or your business specifically, then there is a considerable probability that they are close to making a purchase or striking a deal with you. If this is your first time hearing about it or you want to know more about using Google my business, this post will act as a guide to make the process seamless.

Create a listing

The first thing you need to do is create a Google my business listing and to do this; you’ll need a Google account. If you don’t have one, head over to gmail.com and create one. After creating an account, go to google.com/business and click on the green button that says start now. It then takes you to the page where you’ll be requested to type out your business name, address, business category, phone number, and website.

If you don’t want to show your address or you work from home, you can check the “hide my address box.” When choosing your business category, you need to pick the type that accurately describes your business. If you don’t select the right one, you might not get the right kind of customers to see your business listing.

Choose a verification option

The next step is to verify your business. However, if you are not ready to do so, you can click “try a different method”- “later.” However, if you are prepared to verify, you have various options to choose which are by postcard, email, phone, instant verification, bulk verification.

• Phone verification

Not all business would be able to use this medium of confirmation. However, if you are eligible, you’ll see the option at the beginning of the verification process. if you see this option, and you’ve already added your phone number, click on “verify by phone.” You’ll receive the verification code in the phone number you use, and from there, you can input the code in the space provided and verify.

• Email verification

You can also use the email verification if you are eligible. When you begin your verification process, you’ll see the option of “verify by email.” Click on the button after ensuring your email address is correct. You’ll receive an email from Google my business, which comes with a verification button. Click on it, and it will take you to the verification page.

• Bulk verification

This type of check is for businesses with more than 10 locations. To verify using the bulk verification, choose a location and click ”get verified.” after this click “chain” and it will take you to where you will fill out the verification form using your business name. After filling the necessary field, submit the form. You will get a reply from Google after a week.

• Postcard verification

To do a postcard verification, ensure your business address and contact name is correct because that is where they will send the postcard. After filling your details click mail and you’ll receive the letter within five days. While waiting for the message, avoid trying to change any details as it could delay the sending process.

When you get the postcard, you’ll see it contains a five-digit verification code which you’ll use in verifying your business. Go back to Google my business and click on “verify now” if you have one business location. If it’s more than one, select the one you’ll want to verify. After inputting the code, click on submit.

There are some cases where the postcard never shows up even after a week. If this happens, you can request another code by clicking the assigned button at the top of Google my business page

• Instant verification

Instant verification is for people who already have a verified business in Google Search Console. If you do, you can use the instant confirmation by signing in with your console account. After doing this, you may or not be allowed to use the instant email verification since it’s not for all business.

Working on your listing

After the verification process, go back to the dashboard to fill or update your business information. You will want to make sure that you provide all the necessary details about your business as well as make it appear professional. People will want to see if you have a website, an image that depicts your market, phone number, or any individual services that your competitors do not offer.
You can always come back to update any information you left out by logging into your account, click on info which will take you to the various fields where you can choose what to edit. It is advisable to check your dashboard from time to time since Google can allow anyone to make changes to your business info.

Optimising your listing

Here you want to make sure you set everything right so that you generate more sales lead. Starting from the photos, they should have the right size, which is 750 by 750 pixels. You can use either JPG or PNG files. You can use a cover photo, profile photo, and any other images that make your listing appealing to the eyes and engaging.

The next thing you should consider adding is a business video. Note that this is not a youtube video but something short to add variety to your profile. Your videos should not be longer than 30 seconds, and not more than 100 MB. It should also be clear with at least a 720p resolution.

As time goes on, customers are going to drop by and leave some reviews, ensure you respond to the reviews both positive and negative. Avoid trying to be defensive when replying the negative reviews. Always sound polite and apologise for any inconveniences they might have faced.

Another way to optimise your Google my business listing is by getting the app to make it easy to update information as well as post new status and use the search insights.

Google my business is one tool you should use to attract new customers and build customer loyalty. Ensure you take advantage of it to grow your business.