Google Business Messages

Messenger services such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Co. are regular everyday life for us, we text with our families, we chat with friends and colleagues. The use of messenger apps is 88.8% in Germany alone, according to the Digital 2021 Germany Report. Why shouldn’t we, as end customers, also chat directly with a company on Google if we still have a question or need more information? Imagine you want to give grandma Kate her favorite plant for her birthday, wouldn’t it be super easy to ask the nursery nearby on Google directly if they have exactly the plant before you swing on your bike and drive there? If you are a retailer yourself, you also have the additional chance to convince one or the other still undecided customer of your business.

How you can activate the messaging function, Google Business Messages on Google and thus enable customers to contact you in real time on Google and Google Maps you will learn now.

Activate the message function

Before you can even activate the messages/chat function, you first need a Google Business profile. If you don’t have a profile yet, we provide a free guide for you on how to easily create your profile.

Download free Google profile guide

Once you’ve created your profile, or if you already own one, you’ll need to log in to your profile first. In your business profile dashboard, you’ll find the Messages tab in the left search bar. Here you can enable the messaging feature for your Google Business Profile. Once you’ve enabled messaging, your customers can connect with your business on Google and Google Maps using the “Chat” or “Request a Quote” or “Booking Request” button.

Chat with your customers

When a customer now writes you a message via Google, it will be displayed in your company profile, under the Messages tab and is therefore visible to all owners of the Google Business profile. In addition – as with reviews – all owners of the company profile are informed about new messages by e-mail and can chat with customers. It is important here that you or your team reacts promptly to the messages from customers. If a company does not respond within 24 hours, Google may deactivate the chat function again. However, it can be easily reactivated in your Google Business profile as described above. Messages are stored in the company profile, so you can always fall back on a conversation. If you delete one of your messages, it will only be deleted on your devices, in your profile, but remains visible to your interlocutor.

Facts about Google Business Messages

To give you more time and to give your customers an immediate response and feedback if your team is not directly available, an automatic welcome message can be set up. In addition, photos can be shared with customers in the Messenger, so you can, for example, send your products directly to your customers as photos and convince them even better of your products. Visuals usually persuade more and easier than just words. Learn more about this customer thanks to their Google profile. When a customer writes a message, you will first see the Google profile username, but the “About me” page may provide you with more information, such as the full name or a profile picture, if the customer has uploaded one. More information enables you to recognize or classify potential customers in order to provide them with even more targeted advice on site.

You want to learn more about how messenger services can be useful to you in customer acquisition and retention and how you can make it easier for you to be present and chat in the different messengers? Then write us in our web chat on www.mpocket.io or directly to hallo@mpocket.io or on Google and Google Maps. We look forward to hearing from you.

*For reasons of better legibility only the simultaneous use of male and female language forms is not used. All personal names apply to both genders.

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