How to Set Up a Business on the Internet
A few years ago, the Yellow Pages were how most businesses attracted customers. Today, search engines are the primary way people find local goods and services. It's difficult to be competitive in today's world without appearing in regular and mobile search results. The good news is, if your business lacks an online presence, Google has a free and easy solution. They have pre-built business profile pages for cities throughout the country that are already linked to relevant keywords and appearing in local searches. To get your business online, you just need to claim one.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Google account
- Non-switchboard business number
- Business photo, logo and descriptive information
- Activation PIN
Instructions
-
-
1
Find your listing. If you have a brick-and-mortar business in a major metropolitan area, there's a good chance that Google has already created a business profile for you. To find out, point your browser to Google.com and type your business name in quotes, followed by your city or town. Scan the results after hitting "Enter" to see if a Google maps entry for your business appears. If you don't find one, you'll need to open a Google account in the next step.
-
2
Open a Google account or log in to an existing one. If you found your business in Step 1, click the listing link, then click the "Business owner?" link in the upper right portion of your profile page. If you already have a Google account, you can sign in to it on the new page that loads. If you don't, click the "Create an account now' link below the login fields. If your business wasn't in Google's search results, you can use the same link to open a new account by going to Google.com/places and clicking the "Get started" button. Fill out the fields with your personal information, enter the captcha code and click "I accept. Create my account."
-
-
3
Identify your business. If you created a new account through Google.com/places, you'll be asked to choose a country and enter your business phone number so Google can find your business. If it retrieves your information, it will preload your profile fields with relevant data. If it doesn't, you can manually fill them in yourself. If you created a new account by clicking on the "Business owner?" link in Step 2, you'll be asked to choose one of three listing options. Click on the top "Edit my business information" option followed by the "Continue" button to open your profile edit page. Google will mail an activation letter with a Personal Identification Number to the business address it has on file; you'll need this to verify your listing in Step 6.
-
4
Update your listing. After Google confirms your business phone number or sends you an activation letter, you can update or complete the information in your business profile. Make sure everything you enter matches the offline contact information of your business. You'll need a street address with a cross street -- not a post office box -- and a direct business line -- not a switchboard or call center. Everything must be relevant to the physical building location that Google has in its records.
-
5
Optimize your listing. By adding relevant keywords to the "Description" field of your profile page and choosing appropriate listing categories, you can make it easier for customers to find you. You should also list your business hours, pricing and anything else customers might need to know. While you're at it, upload your business logo, a photo of your location and pictures of popular products. You can even put your company videos on YouTube and attach them to your profile.
-
6
Verify your listing. When you are finished completing your profile, click "Submit." Put the PIN you received by phone or mail in the verification field, and click "Go" to publish your listing.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
After you have created your "Google Places" listing, you might want to select the "Offers" tab of your "Google Places" dashboard, and add a special offer or coupon to it. Google often displays these incentives in other places to attract customers to participating businesses.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images
