Will Google+ Local Be Good For Local Business?
Recently Google announced that to give their customers, people conducting local searches, a better experience using local searches that they were going to focus on a social style platform with Google+. While on the face this seems as if Google Places has failed. The truth is just the opposite. Google Places has created a strong marketing tool and they are merely trying to unite it with social media.
Google Places will no longer exist - sort of.
While your Google Places page will no longer exist, the information from it that your business added has been moved to Google+ Local. There is nothing that you have to do to make the change over. From that stand point it was more of an update.
Google+ Local is a marketing experience for your customers.
Google understands that marketing is evolving almost daily now as the traditional methods of delivery are beginning to fade into the sunset. They are attempting to lead the next generation of consumers to their next purchase. The only traditional method of advertising that is working today is Word of Mouth. For those people under 40 you may recognize that term as social media. Google+ Local marries traditional advertising with the power of the social media.
Google+ Local will grow as it adds new social media tool that Google Local did not have.
As a local business owner imagine Google+ Local as your businesses virtual hangout. This is coffee shop where everyone is talking about your business. Google's drive is to build a destination for people looking for local businesses to go and exchange thoughts about those businesses. As a business owner you must keep this fresh with the content you want in front of your customers and potential customers. Give people a reason to visit this page often. You will want to create an environment that adds to the experience of coming to your business.
The downside for most business owners is it will create more work, because the page is not a static page. To keep it optimized and able to be found on the web it requires actively managing the site.
Are there alternatives to constantly managing and updating my Google+ Local site?
Be very cautious because there will be a lot of marketers out there who are offering to "set-up" your site but very few are going to be willing to manage your site. Managing will require almost weekly if not daily adding content and giving your visitors a fresh view of your business. You must look for a site management company that will communicate with you often and add content. While this may cost a few dollars per week it is like having an in-house person doing it only this person will know what trends and changes are going on.
While a onetime setup fee may seem cheaper, in the long-term it will just be a fix that lasts for no more than a few days. Promoting your business requires constant vigilance.
Google Places will no longer exist - sort of.
While your Google Places page will no longer exist, the information from it that your business added has been moved to Google+ Local. There is nothing that you have to do to make the change over. From that stand point it was more of an update.
Google+ Local is a marketing experience for your customers.
Google understands that marketing is evolving almost daily now as the traditional methods of delivery are beginning to fade into the sunset. They are attempting to lead the next generation of consumers to their next purchase. The only traditional method of advertising that is working today is Word of Mouth. For those people under 40 you may recognize that term as social media. Google+ Local marries traditional advertising with the power of the social media.
Google+ Local will grow as it adds new social media tool that Google Local did not have.
As a local business owner imagine Google+ Local as your businesses virtual hangout. This is coffee shop where everyone is talking about your business. Google's drive is to build a destination for people looking for local businesses to go and exchange thoughts about those businesses. As a business owner you must keep this fresh with the content you want in front of your customers and potential customers. Give people a reason to visit this page often. You will want to create an environment that adds to the experience of coming to your business.
The downside for most business owners is it will create more work, because the page is not a static page. To keep it optimized and able to be found on the web it requires actively managing the site.
Are there alternatives to constantly managing and updating my Google+ Local site?
Be very cautious because there will be a lot of marketers out there who are offering to "set-up" your site but very few are going to be willing to manage your site. Managing will require almost weekly if not daily adding content and giving your visitors a fresh view of your business. You must look for a site management company that will communicate with you often and add content. While this may cost a few dollars per week it is like having an in-house person doing it only this person will know what trends and changes are going on.
While a onetime setup fee may seem cheaper, in the long-term it will just be a fix that lasts for no more than a few days. Promoting your business requires constant vigilance.
