Have you stopped to think about how your business appears
Paul Hunt is a marketing consultant
I am sure the majority of you will use Google Maps to find your way around and not only find shops and businesses that you are looking for, but also types of outlets near you e.g. fish & chip shops, dry cleaners when you are in a area you are not familiar with etc.
However, have you stopped to think about how your business appears, what you can do to improve your listing and how you can improve your ranking over time?
First of all, make sure you are listed on Google and assuming you are, you should first of all ensure you are listed as the owner of the business, so that you can update the information displayed.
If you aren't listed or are just setting up, then usehttps://www.google.co.uk/business/ to create your profile.
You should take time to see how your local competitors are displayed too, as this will help you see examples of good and bad practice quite quickly.
A couple of examples below show how clear it is between good and bad:
The description of your business is important, as this will help Google determine what searches you appear on, so if you are an IFA, but don't add that you do mortgages then you won't be displayed in any searches submitted looking for a mortgage broker in your area.
Pictures are also vital and shouldn't just show the outside of your office, but could show awards you've won, your team etc. You can also order these photos, so that if the outside of your office is not particularly welcoming then you can add others before it (Google will always show a Street View shot, but you can determine the priority order).
I will leave customer reviews for next week, but safe to say these are really important too and not just for making your business stand out from your competition, but to also build a customer advocacy process which can generate more leads for you. More next week.
