The Importance of Google My Business for the Small Business Owner

As a small business owner, targeting local customers and getting your name out in front of those customers is critical. Google My Business is a free service that allows you to be listed on Google Maps, so that your clients or customers can easily locate you. Business owners can manage the information about their physical location of their business. This means when a potential customer reaches for their smartphone or opens their laptop to search for windshield repair in their area, your business would be listed under the organic web listings as well as in Places. Google usually blends the Google My Business’ page and Maps along with organic results for location specific searches. This is an excellent and free way to create brand awareness.

Location. Location. Location.
According to the latest mobile phone usage data released in January 2014, 58% of adult Americans have a smartphone and 74% of those say they use their phone to get directions or other information based on their current location and use that information to decide whether or not to visit a place of business. Creating a Google My Business listing increases your chances of being seen by a customer who is looking for a place to get her windshield repaired at.

Getting Set Up Is Easy
The first step is to set up an account and submit the relevant information like the address, phone number, email, hours of operation, payment method, mode of service, images and even videos to Google. Once you verify your listing through phone or mail, you will receive a PIN from Google that allows you to claim the listing. Once this process is complete and your listing is accepted, it can be viewed on the site. Think of it as being listed in the local yellow pages.

It’s important to keep your listing current and ask your customers who had a good experience to review and rate your service. The higher the ratings, the higher your ranking.

Click here for more information about Google My Business and how to get set up. If you have any questions about your windshield repair business don’t hesitate to call us at 800-548-8332.