If you are a boutique owner and your store is not on Google Places, sign up at once. Why? Because 63% of search engine users expect to find a business that is located within 15 miles of their home when they conduct a search. Google Places helps those consumers find you. And its FREE.
List your business and Google displays your address, phone number, hours of operation and other key business information. You can create coupons, display photos and post videos on Google Places and its FREE. Plus you can track and measure the performance of your listing. You get information on where customers came from and what words they searched to find you online and did I mention its FREE.
There is another way to advertise using Google Places and it’s ALMOST FREE – Tags. For less than $1 a day you can make your boutique (currently only available in 11 cities) stand out on Google.com and Google Maps. Tags are currently available in San Jose, Houston, Austin, Atlanta, Washington DC, San Diego, Seattle, Boulder, Chicago, San Francisco and Mountain View.
Some other great features of Google Places are:
- Business photo shoots: In addition to uploading your own photos, if you have a boutique in one of the select cities you can request a free photo shoot of the interior of your business. The photos are used to supplement existing photos of your business on Place Pages.
- Customized QR codes: From the dashboard page of Google Places, if you are located in the U.S. you can download an QR code that’s unique to your business. You place the QR code on your business cards and other marketing materials. Customers can scan the code with their smartphone and go directly to your Google Place Page.
- Favorite Places: This program was so successful Google is doing a second round. They mailed window decals to 50,000 businesses (awarded a favorite status rating) around the U.S. The decals have a mobile scannable QR code. Customer and potential customers just scan the decal and can learn all about your boutique and any special offerings.
- Service areas: If you travel to serve customers, you can show which geographic areas you serve. And if you don’t have a storefront (operate out of your house or office) you can make your address private.
One out of five searches on Google are related to LOCATION. Make sure your boutique is found. List today. By the way, did I mention its FREE. Now that’s a bargain.
P.S. I do not own any Google stock, nor have I been paid for this endorsement. This is just my own enthusiastic opinion. And its FREE!
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