Differentiating your business from the competition just got a little bit easier, as Google recently added a "Request a Quote" button to their business listings. What's better is that the button will automatically show up and it's extremely visible -- both on desktop and on mobile -- providing potential customers with a fantastic call to action right from their search engine results page. No, you don't have to re-code your site or take significant measures in order to have this button show up for your business. Here's how to get started with this new feature from Google, which can help drive dramatically increased levels of traffic to your website.
Google Messaging for Businesses
While Google+ has gone by the wayside, there are still some added benefits that businesses will enjoy with an enhanced Google business listing. One relatively recent addition to Google's business applications is the Google My Business messaging feature, that's been available to all US-based businesses since 2017. Over time, the service has been enhanced and recently became the infrastructure for the new "Request a Quote" button that has businesses scrambling to activate this little-used feature. Previously, this only allowed customers to directly message your business through the application although it did activate a "Message" button on your primary business Google listing. "Request a Quote" is the logical next step for customers to proactively contact your business directly from their search results.
Commit to Timely Responses to See True Value
With great power comes great responsibility, and Google is a firm believer in rewarding organizations that are quick to respond. The converse is also true -- you might find that your business is dinged in search results if your message response time drops dramatically or your Google business ratings drop. If you decide to activate this feature, you'll need to commit to rapid response times to show Google that you're adequately serving your potential customers. You may need to add a few more admins to your Google My Business account to ensure you'll have sufficient coverage. Google is very clear in their documentation that they don't appreciate anything that causes a negative user experience such as slow or no responses, excessively long message or use of many emoticons or URLs. Keep it professional!
Get More Leads -- But Potentially Impact Site Traffic
It's important to note that while the Google My Business "Request a Quote" app may drive more leads for your business, it could reduce your overall site traffic because prospects never make it to your website. Of course, your website is primarily a lead generation tool, so activating this feature is likely to result in a net gain in leads. Getting started with messaging for your business is easy and only requires a few steps inside the Google My Business app:
- Open the location you’d like to manage
- Tap Customers
- Tap Messages
- Tap Turn on
Customers will see messages come through their Google Maps app, but it does encourage prospects to stay within the Google infrastructure instead of directly visiting your site.
Successful MSP marketing requires taking advantage of the tools and tactics that are openly available that your competitors may overlook. At Ulistic, we actively review your current website, social presence and marketing strategy to determine if we can help your business be more successful. Stuart Crawford, Ulistic's Founder and CEO, works closely with MSPs to translate his decades of experience to help you grow your unique business model. Grade your MSP website online today by filling out our quick form to see how we can help generate (and win!) more business online.
