{"id":27107,"date":"2013-07-31T10:00:47","date_gmt":"2013-07-31T17:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/blog\/?p=27107"},"modified":"2013-07-31T16:02:24","modified_gmt":"2013-07-31T23:02:24","slug":"google-maps-new-app-local-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/blog\/google-maps-new-app-local-business\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Google Maps App: 5 Reasons Local Businesses Should Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

This month Google released new Android and iOS versions of the Google Maps app. If you are a local business owner interested in first-time and return patronage, this affects you. Here are five reasons why,\u00a0and five-plus things you can do to get your brand represented above the competition.<\/p>\n

1) Discovery Without Searching: Help Them Stumble On A Hidden Gem<\/h2>\n

Of all the new Google Maps app features the one that most impacts local business discovery is the removal of Google Local and the addition of a visual, categorically organized feature called \u201cExplore.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you gleaned that a product named Explore integrated into a mapping tool was created to help users explore<\/i> the world around them, you\u2019re right on with this one. The Explore feature has been added in as a main part of the app home screen and allows mobile users to randomly discover businesses that are close to their current location without having to do any kind of search<\/strong>, or as Google points out<\/a>, any typing at all.<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/a><\/p>\n

For the user, the Explore feature creates kind of a serendipitous process; they search broad and vague and Google delivers specific based on community consensus (reviews and ratings) and the user’s location and category selection (Eat, Drink, Play, Shop, Sleep).<\/p>\n

From the user perspective the process looks something like this: I need to eat; I want sushi; these sushi restaurants are within walking distance; this one\u2019s a little farther but it has the best reviews; I\u2019ll try it.<\/i><\/p>\n

For you, the business owner, this feature offers a unique opportunity for your brick and mortar to be stumbled upon by someone who is at the exact right place in the buying cycle. It also allows you an opportunity to convince a consumer to walk past your competitor\u2019s business to get to yours<\/strong>; a tool that can be especially powerful if you happen to be that seedy looking hidden delight that might otherwise get overlooked (like, say, a liquor store that sells amazing burritos<\/a>).<\/p>\n

How To Reap The Benefit<\/h3>\n

To reap this benefit you need a verified Google+ Local<\/a> \u00a0(formerly Google Places) listing and a local Google+ business page<\/a>\u00a0. Then, once you have both, it is preferable that you verify your Google+ page and merge the two accounts together<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2) App Users Are Ready To Buy: Strike While the Iron\u2019s Hot<\/h2>\n

Generally if people are searching for your brick and mortar with their phones it\u2019s because they need something now.<\/i> That means they\u2019re at the purchasing part of the buying cycle<\/a>,<\/strong> and are simply looking for the best candidate to buy from. Having your business appear as one of the top options in an Explore roll-of-the-dice is the perfect opportunity to convince them to step inside your store rather than the one down the block. What\u2019s the trick? Be less imperfect than your competition, and make sure your presence is optimized to give app users the proverbial hard sell.<\/p>\n

How to Reap the Benefits<\/h3>\n

Make sure to completely fill out your Google+ business page<\/a>. Think of this as your opportunity to add information that will entice customers through the door. Add high-quality images, make it easy for them to call you, use Google Offers <\/a>\u00a0to give them a deal they can\u2019t refuse, and make sure you have five-star reviews and ratings that are worth walking an extra block for.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Since Explore is categorically organized, it’s also important to make sure you choose categories that are specific (for instance, consider choosing \u201cmartial arts school\u201d as a specific sub-category rather than \u201cgyms\u201d).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3) Reviews Sell: Let Strangers Sell Your Product For You<\/h2>\n

A recent Dimensional Research survey<\/a>\u00a0asked 1,046 United States residents whether positive and negative online reviews influence their buying decisions. Of the respondents polled, 90% claim that positive online reviews have influenced their buying decisions<\/strong>, and 86% claim to have been influenced in the opposite direction by negative reviews.<\/p>\n

With statistics like that it\u2019s no wonder \u2013 and lucky for you \u2013 that Google put such a heavy emphasis on user-generated ratings and reviews throughout the new Maps app.<\/p>\n

While some Maps listings have reviews represented in a more robust way than others*, when applicable most listings include:<\/p>\n