Claiming a Place on Google
Carol L Schroeder -- Gifts and Dec, 11/1/2011 2:00:00 AM
Carol L Schroeder
Q: Google now plays a major role in how customers find out about a business. We are curious about their new offerings such as Google Places and TalkBin. What can you tell us about these?
A: It seems like Google is starting to dominate the online world, doesn't it? Their search engine has rendered the Yellow Pages almost obsolete, so it is important that the essential information about your business is available to anyone using Google. One way to do this is to make sure that your website is up to date in terms of SEO (search engine optimization), which makes the content and HTML code of your site search engine friendly.
There is also the option of AdWords Express, which is locally targeted paid advertising on Google. This program makes sure that your store appears in the box at the top or side of the screen when someone types in a key word. For example, when someone is searching in your area for something you sell ("picture frames in Des Moines," or if they're already in Des Moines, just "picture frames") the listing for your business will appear above or beside the regular search results. Your shop will also be marked with a blue pin on Google Maps.
Google Places is a new program that Google hopes will give Yelp, a customer review site, a run for its money. Although Google Places is only being rolled out initially in a few select cities, it is certain to be national before long. When Madison, WI was chosen as one of the trial communities, our store received a porcelain candy dish filled with Google Places mints - as did 14,999 other local businesses! This certainly sparked a lot of curiosity about the program, along with the key question of where to get refills.
The concept behind Google Places is that it creates a community page featuring local businesses, gives lots of important information about each one - what it sells, where it is located (including the powerful Google Maps for directions), when it's open, etc. If your shop doesn't have a Web page, this can be an inexpensive way to make this data easily available. There is no cost to "claim your business listing" in Google Places, once it is available in your community.
Even if you already have your own website, Google Places is an excellent opportunity to reach a wider audience with videos, special promotions and live updates on your place page. You can also respond to customer postings on your site. But of course you need to spend some time to upload all of the information that you want customers to see.
Is Your Spot Hot?
The Hotspot feature came about because Google realizes that customers want to see what other people have to say about product or ser
vices. Hotspot allows customers to review your business, which is both good and bad (we all know how much more likely it is that someone will post a comment when they are angry). There is a smart phone app for ratings, and users receive recommendations of other businesses similar to those they like.
Talk Back with TalkBin
Google has also come up with a way for customers to share their thoughts with you anonymously - and in private. TalkBin is a program designed as a way to improve customer service in your store by communicating with your customers via anonymous text messages. It is convenient for them to send these messages on site, which encourages them to give immediate feedback. You can respond to comments instantly via text message or email.
With TalkBin the store pays a small monthly fee, and posts the assigned text phone number either with a general sign asking for comments, or one asking a specific question such as "what types of jewelry would you like us to carry?"
With sites such as Hotspot and Yelp encouraging consumers to post public feedback on a business, you may be doing yourself a big favor to encourage customers to give you their praise and complaints directly first.
Q: We have heard that there are major changes happening in the credit card arena. How will that impact our business?
A: The effect of credit cards on your bottom line is undoubtedly significant. These fees usually come to between 2.5 percent and 5.5 percent of sales (depending on the number of sales and the size of your transactions), so if 50 percent of your $500,000 in sales come via credit or debit cards, that could reach almost $14,000.
One way of controlling the amount you spend on processing fees is to shop around for the best processor, which may or may not be through your local bank. It is very complicated to compare the fees that are charged for processing services, so you might ask for advice from your local SBDC or fellow merchants.
Many customers are unaware of the cost to businesses when a credit card is tendered as payment. A recent change in federal regulations as a result of a Visa and Master-Card settlement with the United States Department of Justice now permits a merchant to encourage a different form of payment, or to influence customers to use a particular card. This used to be prohibited by the terms of agreement with the large credit card companies.
It is now not only permissible to encourage your customers to pay by cash, debit card or check, but you can even offer them incentives such as a discount or a free gift when they do. Some buy local organizations have added a "keep cash in our community" component to their campaigns, pointing out to consumers that credit card processing fees are detrimental to small businesses and also often go out of state.
The Federal Reserve has also recently issued regulations (under the Durbin Amendment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act) that place a ceiling on interchange rates for many debit transactions. Check with your credit card processor to see whether your rate for debit cards is lower than for credit cards, because if it is, you could increase your profitability by encouraging customers to select this form of payment over the other cards they carry.
We would love your feedback!
No related articles for this topic.
Featured Company
-
Wright Labels
Bill and Tom Wright founded Wright of Thomasville in 1961 on the idea that printing was a creative medium and the belief that "a promise made is a promise kept." The Wright brothers focused their attention on providing exceptional printing for the... more
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
