Is Google My Business Replacing Pet Retailers Need to Have a Website? Absolutely not! 

They are both crucial to your success. And here’s why:

Google has changed their system to become more like a ‘one-stop-shop’ to provide customers with their answers through a shop’s Google My Business listing, so the website isn’t visited (as frequently). So what can you as an independent retailer do? 

Well as the saying goes, “‘if you can’t beat em’, join em’”. Now, it is imperative for your independent pet retail business to have a Google My Business listing! 

With GMB a customer has access to : 

• Store directions
• Business phone number
• Message the business
• Read business posts
• Access the website 
• Community questions (available on mobile only)

However, consumers use both the GMB and the website to find and engage with your business. Both places should offer ways for people to engage, buy, message, find information, etc. Your website offers more capabilities. But first, you need to be seen and recognized by Google for more opportunities for customers to click on your site. One of the easiest ways to do this is to work with the NextPaw dashboard that offers all of these features and more. 

These five elements are necessary for your website AND Google My Business Listing: 

1. Claiming, creating, and Optimizing your GMG

The goal is to have your GMB listing completely optimized. Meaning, all relevant information is up to date and that you have all fields filled out. A customer is more likely to click on your listing when it is complete and accurate. Here’s a link to optimize your Google My Business listing if you’d like more help. 

Not only can you optimize your GMB listing from your NextPaw dashboard, but you can also easily update and edit your listings whenever you want. 

2. Get more customer reviews

Reviews, reviews, reviews! We love reviews! To place higher in local searches, you need more google reviews. Reviews are a great way to build trust and relationships within the community. A recent survey revealed that 84% of people are more likely to trust online reviews as much as personal reviews. 

Your website is a great place to ask for reviews from your customers. Add a simple pop up to your site with a link to the Google reviews in order to start ranking higher and gaining more credibility. Plus, you can then feature your customer reviews on your website so all your visitors know how great you are! 

NextPaw offers an easy and simple way to communicate with your customers. You are able to text and chat with them whenever you’d like. This means you can easily send an SMS to a customer while they are still in the store asking for a Google review and they can submit it in the car before they leave the parking lot. 

3. Create and Share Google posts 

Google launched a new feature that enables businesses to easily provide offers and announcements as if you’re posting on social media. They will appear directly from search results. Once a customer clicks on a post, the content will open and display completely. And, you can add a link to ‘learn more’ and direct this traffic to your website.

Not only can you advertise your offers and promotions through Google posts, but also on your website you should do a monthly check-in with what’s going on and make sure your information is up to date. This also allows you to update keywords and phrases to keep your website fresh. 

4. Monitor and respond to your Community Q & A

The community Q & A is a great place to engage with customers and potential customers. This feature is currently only accessible on mobile. However, it puts a person behind the computer and gives a more personalized touch. It allows you to easily address frequently asked questions and get more noticed on mobile search results. 

However, it is important to note that a business is unable to respond to these questions directly. So you must do so as an individual or have a brand ambassador to make the response in the business owner’s name. 

You also need to highlight your FAQ page on your website, a customer is more likely to visit your store if they already know the answer they are looking for. 

5. Make it easy for customers to contact your business with Google Messaging 

Dashboard messaging. It’s all the rage. The GMB listing allows you to message and engage directly with customers. It, basically, allows customers to send text messages directly from search results to GMB listings. The business can then text the customer back with an answer to their question. 

However, NextPaw software also has this capability and makes it even easier to reach out to clients first and respond from one easy dashboard. This means you and your customers can be in two-way communication. They can double-check you’re open and ask for their items to be ready to check out when they arrive to make their shopping experience more seamless. 

In the end:

Google is always reinventing itself and with its changes, as an independent business owner, you need to adapt. But with keeping your GMB listing up to date and making sure your website is fresh and relevant, you will succeed. Don’t be worried about Google taking over, your website is still relevant and needed! NextPaw software is here to help this transition and make sure all your independent retail needs are met, all from one easy dashboard. Schedule your free tour today!