Going back to work is a must for many small businesses. The longer we endure this Coronavirus induced lockdown, the more these businesses are going to suffer. No, we don’t agree with protesting to reopen early – we believe it’s better to be overly cautious than to have regrets – but we do agree with these small business owners using their time at home to do their research. So, to help you to do that, we want to talk a little bit today about how Google My Business can help you to prepare for going back to work after Coronavirus shutdowns.
Going Back to Work: How Google My Business Can Help Post-Coronavirus
We’ve talked about using Google My Business before, but today we’re talking about how you can maximize its use to set your company up perfectly for the upcoming re-opening.
Create a Presence
The first thing you should do (if you have not done so already) is to create your Google My Business online business profile. This tags your business as your business and creates a space on Google My Business where you can fill in your business details and create your GMB presence. This will serve as a hub of information for your customers and potential customers, but it will also be a place where you can receive feedback and engage in conversation with your customers.
If you’re unsure how to set up Google My Business, we offer you the option of having us set it up for you.
Encourage Clients to Offer Reviews
You may not have any active clients at the moment, but if you have a newsletter going out to previous clients or if you have contacts with previous clients, encourage them to review your business on Google My Business. This creates an authenticity to your business profile, but it also lets potential clients know what to expect from your business.
If you have only just set up your GMB profile or if you simply don’t have reviews yet, this is the perfect time to solicit them. Once your business opens back up, you want all of the clientele you can get and previous clients are one of the best ways to bring in new clients!
Just be sure not to SPAM your customers or to misuse any contact information that they have provided to you.
Be Responsive
Creating your presence is about more than just sharing details and getting reviews, it’s also important for you to respond to those reviews and comments in a positive way. By doing this, you are letting your customers and future customers know that you care what they think and that you are listening to what they say. You would be surprised at just how much it matters when you choose to ignore or respond to comments and reviews! Even if a review is nothing more than a single sentence saying how much your product is loved, take the time to reply with thanks!
If you don’t have the time or the knowhow to respond to your customers diplomatically and positively, it’s always best to have a professional do the job for you. Remember, the responses you leave online are going to remain there for a very long time and they could singlehandedly destroy your business if written inappropriately.
But Stay Away From the Darkside
You may notice businesses out there advertising their ability to review your business for cash or to share your business on their website, don’t do it. Most, if not all, of these companies, already have a poor reputation for being “link farms” and are frowned upon by the community and detested by search engines. Under no circumstances do you want your business linked to this type of website or organization.
We know that the temptation is there to take that fast track to positive reviews, especially during this time of economic crisis, but believe us when we tell you that it’s just not worth it. Doing things the right way may take a little longer, but it will ensure that your website and your company remain in good standing.
Make Use Of ALL Of Google My Business’s Tools
If you haven’t looked around GMB in a while, you may not yet know that there is a suite of available tools that you can utilize to improve your GMB presence. Use them! With these tools, you can keep clients and potential clients informed of current events taking place with your business – for example, a re-opening ceremony when the time comes! You can also build your search engine presence by creating informative and unique written content that links back to your business – something that is looked upon favorably by search engines.
Don’t Stress Out!
The last thing you want to do when you’re trying to steer your business in a positive direction is to freak out, The more you panic, the shorter your fuse is going to get and that means that you’re more likely to leave a negative impression with potential clients, to say the wrong thing unintentionally, or to just come across as a business that is unapproachable and unkind.
If you do find yourself getting stressed out over the tasks above, call in the cavalry and let the pros do what they do best! Plus, we’ll give you a free consultation to get you started on the right track!
Going Back to Work: Do You Need Help Maximizing Your Use of Google My Business?
At Online Presence Manager, we have a team of professionals who can take control of your Google My Business project to ensure that you get the full benefit of this comprehensive and somewhat complicated tool. If you would like a free consultation to see how we can help you to begin preparing your business for reopening via Google My Business, we can help! Just give us a call today at
