Google business messaging is an easy way for potential customers to interact with a business. If you visit a brick-and-mortar store of a business, you are most likely greeted with staff who will help you find what you are looking for and make the entire experience seamless. Similarly, when people are looking for businesses online, they first do a google search, find the intended business’s listing and browse for the required product/service. The downside to digital searching and shopping is that you find yourself alone, void of staff to help you out in your purchase journey. This is where Google Business Messages can help you out.
What is Google Business Messaging?
Google defines Google Business Messages as :
“ a mobile conversational channel that combines entry points on Google Maps, Search, and brand websites to create rich, asynchronous messaging experiences that delight customers and drive business results.”
Let’s break that down so it is a bit easier to understand. What do they mean by ‘a mobile conversational channel’? Google mentions this explicitly because its business messaging is a feature that can only be accessed by users who are browsing through their mobile devices. The ‘chat’ option in the google my business profile listing is available only on mobile searches and not desktop searches.
For example, this is how the mobile search of Emitrr looks like:
You can see the ‘chat’ option with the mobile search. The desktop search however does not show the chat option.
“Entry points on google search, maps and brand websites”, this statement describes the leads generated through google search results, Google Map results and Google Business Message if incorporated into respective business’s website.
“to create rich, asynchronous messaging experiences that delight customers and drive business results” , rich asynchronous messaging stands for the rich features google business messages allow. These include features such as being able to send messages with branding, rich media, interactivity, and analytics. To simplify it further rich media while messaging means the use of photos, videos or gifs to make the interaction more fun and engaging.
All in all what this definition of google business messaging is trying to tell us is that the option of chat on your google my business listing will prompt customers to text you if they have a query regarding your business. Once you get the conversation going with the customers, engaging them would also be made easy with the rich media features. This entire process will then help you convert the lead.
Why Should you Enable Google Business Messages for your GMB Profile?
As discussed above, the chat features allows customers to chat with your business when they search for your business either on google search or google maps. Let’s dive into what the benefits of google business messages are for your business.
Benefits of Google Business Messages
Allows you to be available to your Customers
The stats are in, 76% of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit a physical place within 24 hours and 28% of those searches result in a purchase. Needless to say, the customer experience while searching for your business online should be seamless. One of the things you can do to achieve this is letting the customers have an option of messaging your business as and when they search and your business’ google my business profile shows up. This allows you to create multiple touchpoints with your customers through google search results and google maps results.
Allows for Increased Engagement with Customers While Chatting
Recall the time you were enthralled by a conversation. It probably had a lot of details and non-verbal cues that grabbed your attention. Similarly when talking to customers, it is important that you keep them engaged. Some features that google business messages provides to make conversations engaging are:
– Automated welcome messages to quickly grab the customers attention
– Option of high quality videos, images and gifs to be personalised according to the customer
– Suggested replies when words take the best of you
– Typing indicators, delivery confirmations, and read receipts to help you make progress in the conversations.
Ensures Secure Communications with Your Customers
Secure conversations are a must to ensure that your customers’ privacy isn’t compromised. When conversing with customers it is an unsaid covenant that the conversation between your business and the customer stays secure. Google business messages ensure secure communications as it is encrypted between the customer’s device and google’s servers. According to Google’s privacy policy, google business messages will not be used to:-Sell advertising based on, or otherwise monetize, message contents
-Share unaggregated data or message content with any third parties or Competitors
Allows Integrations with Other Software for a More Enhanced Customer Service
You can integrate google business messages with your business website or any other CRMs or business texting tools. These integrations will allow you to access the messages received through google business messages on the respective software. Surely as a business, you must know the importance of providing omni-channel communication options for customers. The downside of this requirement can be the managing of all the requests and messages received on all the different platforms. Through integrations with your main CRM or business messaging app you will be able to handle all the messages in one place and be sure not to miss any message. These integrations will allow you to:-Save money and reduce staff workload with automated digital agents
-Improve response times, and reduce handling times compared to other channels
-Provide 24/7 support, so you never miss a single customer interaction.
Optimize your Customer Service Time
With Google’s Business Messages, you can handle multiple conversations at a time. The conversations are fast and personal. To get the dialogue started with your customers, you can even prepare up to 5 welcome messages.
How to Set Up Google Business Messages on Desktop and Mobile?
To allow customers to message you through your google my business profile you will need to enable ‘chat’ or google business messages. Here are the steps you will need to follow to turn on chat on Google Maps:
1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app Maps.
2. Tap Updates Updates and then Messages and then Business.
3. Tap Settings Settings. Then, turn on or off Messages.
How to set up google business messages on desktop
To be clear, setting up google business messages on desktop here means being able to access and respond to the messages received through google business messages on desktop and not the provision to enable ‘chat’ on desktop google search.
1. Sign in to your business’s google my business profile.
2. Go to Messages and turn it on.
3. Select Customise to add welcome messages and personalise the chat experience for your customer.
How to set up google business messages on mobile
1. Download the ‘Google my business’ app from Google Play store or Apple App store.
2. Sign in to your account
3. Navigate to customers> messages> turn on. Once done, ‘chat’ will be activated on your google my business profile.
4. Add a welcome message and turn on the message notifications.
How to Respond to Google Business Messages?
Once you’ve turned on the chat feature for your google my business profile you will be able to manage and respond to the messages through your GMB profile itself. To access the messages received just sign into your GMB profile, on the left navigation panel go to messages, here you will be able to see all the conversations. Select the conversation you want to engage with and start the conversation.
Another way to manage the google business messages and customer messages received across other platforms such as Facebook, Instagram etc is using a customer interaction and engagement software.
How to Use a Business Messaging Software like Emitrr to Manage Google Business Conversations?
The advantage of using business messaging software like Emitrr is that you will be able to manage and respond to messages received across all your messaging platforms under one roof. For example, if you’ve received a text message on your business phone number, a google business message and a message on your facebook business page all these conversations would be consolidated into one place for you to access and respond to them timely. Without the hassle of logging into each and every platform and then responding to the message, response time will increase and in turn customer experience will also be improved.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the chat feature is no longer available on Google My Business. However, customers can still access your business contact info and location information on it.
On July 31, 2024, Google ended the chat option on Google Business Profile, and so you can no longer use the option to chat with your customers.
Conclusion
Google business messaging is a great tool that every business should utilise. The main reason it is attractive to customers is that it allows them to make decisions easier. As the business becomes more accessible to the customers, it helps in establishing trust and credibility, which helps in the process of lead conversion for the business. The google my business chat acts as a catalyst for businesses to improve response time,drive sales,provide support eventually culminating in improved customer satisfaction.
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