Photo: Google
Connecting customers and businesses is a lot more important today than it was a year ago, and it’s all happening for obvious reasons. Unsurprisingly, Google knows this all too well.
This is one of the reasons Google Maps, the world’s number one navigation app, has received more and more improvements supposed to help both users and businesses get certain information, such as the busyness level and opening hours, in a more straightforward way.
And now Google continues its updates in this regard by bringing the ability for verified businesses to chat with customers right from within the Google Maps mobile app. Why is this such a big improvement?
First and foremost, not everybody wants to call a business, as simply sending a message and then waiting for a response is often the more convenient approach, especially when you can’t talk on the phone or the staff is busy. Then, allowing companies to reply from a mobile device makes it easier for small businesses to improve their relationship with customers, as this way they can be notified whenever someone sends them a message even if they’re on the go.
And unsurprisingly, the new messaging feature integrates well with the latest updates for Google Maps, so for example, users can message a business right from a post they made and which is visible for followers from the recently-refreshed Explore tab that now plays the role of a feed.
“Once you turn messaging on from your Business Profile, you can start replying to customers on Google Maps from the business messages section in the ‘Updates’ tab. And soon you'll also be able to see your messages right from Google Search (via the Customers menu on your Business Profile) and message customers directly from your computer,” Google explains.
The new update is live today, and verified businesses can start chatting with customers directly from the Google Maps app on iPhone and Android using the latest version in the stores.
And now Google continues its updates in this regard by bringing the ability for verified businesses to chat with customers right from within the Google Maps mobile app. Why is this such a big improvement?
First and foremost, not everybody wants to call a business, as simply sending a message and then waiting for a response is often the more convenient approach, especially when you can’t talk on the phone or the staff is busy. Then, allowing companies to reply from a mobile device makes it easier for small businesses to improve their relationship with customers, as this way they can be notified whenever someone sends them a message even if they’re on the go.
And unsurprisingly, the new messaging feature integrates well with the latest updates for Google Maps, so for example, users can message a business right from a post they made and which is visible for followers from the recently-refreshed Explore tab that now plays the role of a feed.
“Once you turn messaging on from your Business Profile, you can start replying to customers on Google Maps from the business messages section in the ‘Updates’ tab. And soon you'll also be able to see your messages right from Google Search (via the Customers menu on your Business Profile) and message customers directly from your computer,” Google explains.
The new update is live today, and verified businesses can start chatting with customers directly from the Google Maps app on iPhone and Android using the latest version in the stores.
Google News