How to Claim Your Business On Google

by | Jun 8, 2016 | Business, Uncategorized

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]My wife and I just purchased a pair of hammocks from Amazon.com. They were under $30 a piece, but we still wanted to make sure we were making a good decision.

  • We read the reviews
  • We compared similar products online
  • We visited the manufacturer’s website to see if they seemed legit. (I’ll be honest, they desperately need a website makeover, but they were the real deal.)

Sound familiar? Statistics indicate people spend a considerable amount of time doing research online before they decide to buy.

“78% of internet users research businesses online before making contact.”
– HubSpot

Your business website and social media profiles are often your customer’s first interaction with you. We all know how important first impressions are. Let’s dive into some ways you can use Google to make your business more memorable.

Google Maps

There’s a good chance your business is already on the map. Head over to Google Maps now and search for your business name. Is it on the map? Is all the information correct? If so, that’s a great start, but there’s one more important thing to look for.

If you haven’t “claimed” your business listing you should see a link called “Are you the business owner?” under your listing. Be sure to click the link and follow the prompts.

Your verified business information can appear on Google Maps helping customers find directions to your business. They can also find contact info as well as ratings and reviews of your business.

Google+ (Social Media)

Did you know Google has a social media app? It’s called Google+. Basically, it’s Google’s answer to Facebook. I’ll tell you right now there are far fewer users on G+ than Facebook. Still, it’s an important part of your online presence. Every business can enhance their listing with photos and status updates. Strong reviews and pictures of your products help you stand out to customers.

At the very least, you can enhance your online brand with Google+. Here’s an example of a local bicycle shop in Northwest Denver. Notice the right-hand column. They have photos, address, hours, and reviews. You can edit all of this information once you claim your business.

Google+ business listing

Business Information

One reason why you want to claim your business listing is to make sure your information is correct. After you get access to your business listing you can update information about your business as often as you’d like. From Google My Business, you can edit your contact information, description, hours, website URL and more.

Mobile Ready

Mobile devices act differently than desktops, for obvious reasons. When potential customers are on the go or need information in a hurry, you want to make sure your business listing is accurate and up to date. Managing your Google business listing helps customers find the same reliable information about your business whether they are on a desktop or a mobile device.

The Good News

If this all sounds like Greek to you and your head’s swimming, you’re in luck. We’ve helped many businesses like yours claim, update and enhance their Google business listing. Be sure to send us a message or leave a comment below if you need help updating your Google business listing. If you want to get started without us, awesome! Go claim your business listing now![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” enable_gradient=”true” color_overlay=”rgba(30,115,190,0.11)” color_overlay_2=”rgba(238,238,34,0.11)” gradient_direction=”left_t_to_right_b” overlay_strength=”0.8″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”padding-4-percent” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

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How to Monitor Your Brand’s Reputation Online

by | Nov 19, 2014 | Uncategorized

[vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The perception your audience has of your brand can make or break your business.

You know it’s important, but how do you monitor brand reputation and what exactly should you monitor? Since there is probably a conversation happening right now about your brand, let’s review a few ways you can listen in.

Think about this

Every brand has a story to tell and it is important to make sure your story is being shared and discussed in a manner that benefits your business. You have a lot on your plate and monitoring your brand online may not be a priority… but it should be.

“Unless you have clarity of what your brand stands for, everything else is irrelevant.” – Mark Baynes

Let’s say you own a furniture store. You sell brand-name products from some of the industries best manufactures. You also have a team of six sales people who work the floor, the phones and network online. You want to make sure customer service is just as important as the quality of your products. The story your customers are sharing begins when they pick up the phone, hop online or hit a networking function. How do you know if they are truly satisfied? Happy and unhappy customers alike are using social media to praise or vent about your brand.

What to monitor

The first step to monitoring brand reputation is to know what is worthwhile to monitor. What types of inquiries will get you the best results? It might take a bit of trial and error, but here are some ideas to get you started.

  • Your name or your brand’s name
  • Any variations of your brand’s name (For example, I would want to monitor both “Kitzmiller Media” and “Kitzmiller Design” for my brand)
  • Potential misspellings of your brand’s name
  • Names of the most active/visible members of your company
  • Brand centric products or services
  • Specific marketing campaigns you’re running
  • Custom hash tags created for your brand
  • Your catchphrase, slogan or tagline

Monitoring tools

Once you have an idea of why you are entering social media monitoring and what you want to monitor, you’ll want to enter your searches into a tool that alert you every time they are mentioned online. There are plenty of brand monitoring tools out there, many of which are free to use.

Most of these brand monitoring tools work by allowing you to enter specific names, phrases and any related keywords relevant to your brand. Once you test the results, look for settings that send notifications directly to your inbox – set it and forget it.

I have a small business, does it matter?

My advice to you is start thinking big. You are growth oriented and when your business grows, you will want to have some experience monitoring your brand’s reputation online. Trust me, you will be surprised by the outcome, and you might even discover business opportunities you may have otherwise missed.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” enable_gradient=”true” color_overlay=”rgba(30,115,190,0.11)” color_overlay_2=”rgba(238,238,34,0.11)” gradient_direction=”left_t_to_right_b” overlay_strength=”0.8″][vc_column column_padding=”padding-4-percent” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]

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People judge quickly. Does your brand capture the essence of who you are? Is it love at first sight? Contact us to schedule a comprehensive and completely free brand review.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][contact-form-7 id=”7853″][/vc_column][/vc_row]