Enabling Messaging on GoogleMyBusiness — and why this could be very important.

I’ve more than covered the importance of having a GoogleMyBusiness profile previously. But this year, it will become even more important than ever due to a number of moves that Google is making to position it as the first place you will attempt to make contact with a business.

GoogleMyBusiness is vital for local business. And now that the public can message you from your profile, it’s important that you start investing time and attention in to this platform.

And while you may prefer that customers phone you, there is a large number that will text message or type something to you. And if they don’t have a way to do it, they’ll go elsewhere. In fact, that is exactly the kind of introverted customer I am.

If I have to call you, I’ve already had a bad experience with your business.

So Google has done something about this. What are these updates coming, and what can you do to be ahead of the game when they hit?

First up, Google is working to increase the profile of Google My Business as the place to message a business directly and get an answer directly from that business. There is already an Ask A Question button active on your Google My Business profile that the public can use to ask you a question about a product or service… or even your opening hours. The trouble is that the task of answering that question is also open to the public to answer on your behalf — and that could be a mess if a member of the public is giving poor, or evening incorrect information. So you need to make sure you’re the first to answer that question every time. And that means not waiting till you’re back at your computer to answer questions that come in. How?

It’s all about getting the GoogleMyBusiness app on your phone. That way you can answer that question straight away, just like as if the customer was calling you on the phone or had physically walked in the door. That way, you answer first, you answer properly and the customer experiences a business that is responsive and easy to deal with.

The app is available on both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play store — and it’s free.

Secondly, there is now a messaging feature built into GoogleMyBusiness. But it’s hidden away a bit and a little obscure. To activate it, you need to go into your GoogleMyBusiness app (the one you just downloaded) and click on the Messages link to start the process of activating this Message button. But be aware that this button will only appear on searches on mobile devices (which will still represent the majority of most business searches anyway) and will require the potential customer to have Allo, or whatever the current Google messaging platform will be after March when Allo is discontinued or rolled in to something else.

Either way, it’s a good idea to adopt this message button feature in your GoogleMyBusiness profile right now to make sure you’re ready for the next wave of search features in Google that will undoubtably include an easy way for your customers to ask you questions and message you via the GoogleMyBusiness app.

I’ve included some instructions below on how to turn on, turn off and use various features in messaging on GoogleMyBusiness.

Make 2019 the year you really get on top of the GoogleMyBusiness thing. It’s shaping up as the absolute must-have and must-do thing for getting locals to find your business.

If you’d like a hand with it, drop me a line at darwin@clickstarter.com.au or send a message via our Facebook page at facebook.com/clickstarter

And remember, if you’re not doing something this week to get known, get found or stay known, your business is standing still.

Originally published at clickstarter.com.au

How messaging on GoogleMyBusiness works

Once you turn on messaging, customers will see a “Message” button on your Google My Business listing. Customers will then be able to message you at any time.

• Messages will appear in the Google My Business app, and you’ll receive notifications for incoming messages.
• You can customize the automated welcome message that customers will see when they message you.
• If multiple people own or manage your Google My Business listing, each one can message with customers.
• Customers may see your name and profile photo from your About me page

How to turn on messaging

To turn on messaging:

1. Open the Google My Business app.
2. If you have multiple locations, open the location you’d like to manage.
3. Tap Customers.
4. Tap Messages.
5. Tap Turn on.

Once you’ve turned on messages, you can return to Customers > Messages to see all messages chronologically.

How to turn off messaging

To turn off messaging:

1. Open the Google My Business app.
2. If you have multiple locations, open the location you’d like to manage.
3. Tap More, then tap Settings.
4. Tap Messages.
5. Next to “Turn on Messages,” turn off the switch.

You can turn on messaging again at any time.

How to block or delete a conversation

To block an existing conversation:

1. Open the Google My Business app.
2. If you have multiple locations, open the location you’d like to manage.
3. Tap Customers.
4. Tap Messages.
5. Open the conversation you want to block.
6. Tap the three dot menu, then tap Block. The conversation will be blocked, and you’ll no longer receive messages from the customer.

To delete an existing conversation:

1. Open the Google My Business app.
2. If you have multiple locations, open the location you’d like to manage.
3. Tap Customers.
4. Tap Messages.
5. Open the conversation you want to delete.
6. Tap the three dot menu then tap Delete. The conversation will be deleted from your device (but won’t be deleted from the customer’s device).