Winning new customers with Google My Business
Is Google My Business worth it?
Judging from the title of this article, you might have already guessed it. Google My Business is worth it! Especially for small businesses. Done the right way, Google My Business for salons can increase sales. Here are several reasons to prove it:
- More store visits thanks to local searches
Did you know that more than 30% of all mobile searches are about nearby solutions? And 50% of these searches result in a store visit? The Google maps business profile allows you to list your business on Google Maps and shows it for highly relevant search requests like “beauty salon near me”. In other words: your business will be the answer to local questions.
- Increased online visibility
A good first impression can work wonders. Google My Business is an opportunity to present your location with pictures and videos that make your business shine in the best light. Both, in the Google search results and on Google Maps. You’ll profit from increased visibility and a visual presence that compliments your website.
- Easy to keep customers informed
How long does it take you to change the opening hours or add new services and promotions to your website? Google My Business makes it easy to provide this information with just a few clicks. The customer doesn’t even have to visit your website to find out what she is looking for.
- Uncomplicated data insights
Google Analytics isn’t clear to understand at first sight, but Google My Business Insights are. You’ll have an easy overview on page clicks and direction requests. What’s more: you’ll also see how many new customers discovered your business by searching for services.
- Reviews
Word of mouth is great, but to win over customers that haven’t heard of your business yet, a few independent reviews are indispensable. Google My Business offers a platform to manage reviews easily. We’ll cover this more in detail in the following.
- The icing on the cake:
Google My Business is absolutely FREE! Do we need to say anything else?
Hopefully, you are now fully convinced of the benefits of Google My Business and burning to know how to seize this opportunity in the best possible way. Now that we’re familiar with GMB, we’ll get into the details of winning new customers. If you prefer listening to reading, you can watch our free Google My Business webinar here.
How to increase your GMB Ranking
The first step to winning new customers on Google My Business is showing your profile to as many people as possible. Increasing the ranking of your profile will increase its visibility and this is easier than it sounds.
In our experience, Google My Business profiles are often overseen as marketing tools. So the chances that your competitors have neglected their profile are high. Respectively, your chances of seeing good results are quite high, as well.
Look at the picture below. The first search result is marked with a green “Ad” sign. If you are interested in learning how to use paid ads to get ahead of your competition have a look at our PPC articles. The other two search results have achieved high organic rankings and won’t pay for each click. In the long term, the more economic strategy.
Ranking organically for free is based on different criteria. The good news is that Google usually has the end-user in mind. Among other factors, this means the most up-to-date and best-reviewed profiles will be ranked higher. Keep on reading to understand how to achieve this.
Regular Updates on your Google My Business listing
First things first, ensure your GMB profile is updated regularly. Here are a few suggestions on how to approach this task:
Be thorough. Try to include as much information as possible, when setting up your Google My Business Profile. This is, of course, your business address, but also services and opening hours. Also, remember to consider special holidays for example over Christmas. By keeping this information as updated as possible, you can spare customers a trip to closed doors. You’ll also distinguish yourself effectively from competitors on holiday.
Be creative. Updating pictures and videos is a great way to show your business in the best light possible. While your customers can add pictures to your profile, this is the chance to take the matter in your own hands. You can even add 360-degree videos via Google StreetView by using your phone. With so many options to choose from, we recommend updating the profile with new image material about once a week.
Be social. Google Posts on the My Business site are a great opportunity to highlight promotions or mention upcoming events. While you don’t have to use these as often as you might use Twitter or Instagram, try to schedule regular updates. This article from Moz explains very well how to schedule new posts. Pay attention to the section on emojis, as well:
“💅 near me”, could be a relevant search request for your beauty salon.
Regular Reviews
Vegan skincare is what makes your salon special? Feed two birds with one scone! Getting great reviews does not only positively enforce the buying decision of your future customers, but also increases the ranking of your Google My Business profile. Try to ask happy customers for a review. Because who could sell your cruelty-free nail care regime better than them?
You have the opportunity to create a direct link to the review section of your GMB profile. This will make it easier for your customers to leave the 5 stars you are hoping for.
Please keep in mind that it is not only about the quality of your ratings, but also about frequency. Try to encourage regular reviews to maintain movement on your Google My Business profile. We recommend tracking all reviews weekly and answering to both, positive and negative comments.
Google My Business to grow sales – Reserve with Google
Did you know customers can book your services directly in Google search results? Our friends from Shortcuts can help you to set up Reserve with Google. In our experience, this can make a real difference for hair and beauty clients by cutting out a few steps of the booking process.
To sum it up, the key to Google My Business is regularity. Frequent picture updates and new, good reviews will help you to continuously reach new customers in the long run. If you are interested in using more than just the free tools, Reserve with Google can help increase the number of bookings even more.
Keen to learn more? Click to watch our free Google my business webinar with Shortcuts!
A quick reminder: Everybody – including your competitors – can make changes to your GMB profile. That’s why it’s important to regularly log in and keep all your information up to date.
