Google Maps lets his users describe the places they visit. The most active users earn a badge on their profile image as well as the « Local Guides » attribute displayed under their name. Millions of potential consumers rely on these contributions to choose their favourite establishment or ctivities, offering those points of sale an outstanding visibility…
Contributions in Google Maps
The local users and Guides may:
- Publish reviews & photos
- Answer questions on the places they visited
- Report mistakes about a POS: permanently closed, non-existent, having moved, wrong denomination/address, wrong geolocation, etc.
- Add a missing address on the map
- The Google Maps’s Beta version even offer missions: add missing information about the nearby places or validate those suggested by other contributors.
How to get qualitative and positive returns on your local guides page?
Optimising customers’ experience in points of sale and the setting up a communication strategy encouraging clients to publish reports on Google is the first step.
Next your establishments should be quickly visible on the web : in order to get there, you must optimise your local referencing.
Some advantages for the retailers, contributors and consumers…
This system of share provides value to everyone:
- An uninterrupted feed of useful information about your establishment, for you and your customers.
- Internet users will trust you more and be keener come to your POS after reading reviews, photos and real-time data diffused by the app.
- Contributors obtain points as soon as their first action takes place and get even more by subscribing to Local Guide’s community. Some advantages directly impact the establishment:- The participation to events hosted by Google (official) or to (unofficial) Meetups. Users get together in a city, discuss a topic (e.g.: gourmet discovery), and share their experience during these events.- Tips on how to realize quality pictures and write useful reviews.
Even customers’ and Local Guides’ contributions that do not seem to affect you, can actually have a direct impact on you: a point of sale located close to a park, with nice photos and reviews on Google Maps will most probably attract passers-by.
There are many chances of activating customers, making the Local Guides program a real advantage for your Web-To-Store strategy.
Consult other articles on the subject…
