Google is perpetually rolling out new features for Business Profiles, but some are more useful than others, and a recent upgrade to the chat functionality could be a real game-changer in terms of being able to communicate quickly with potential customers.
As all business owners are aware, delays in communication lead to loss of revenue, as impatient consumers will simply go to another business if they can’t get the answer they’re looking for right away. In fact, message response time has become such an important factor for Google, that Business Profiles can only keep the chat function activated if they consistently respond to messages quickly. In turn, a disabled chat function will lead to further loss of leads.
This is why the new automated FAQ feature is such an important addition to the way chat works on Business Profiles. Instead of having to wait for a response from you, potential customers can read a welcome message that you set up beforehand, and then they can select from a menu of frequently asked questions that you’ve already answered.
Google has provided a handy guide on how to set up your FAQ questions and answers – it’s really quite simple and you can easily get it set up and running in a single session. At the moment the limit is ten questions for the FAQ, so the hardest part could be narrowing down the list to the questions that people really do ask you the most.
You can include links in the FAQ answers, so if there’s more information you want to share beyond the 500-character limit for each answer, you can send people to the appropriate page on your website to learn more. You can also include a phone number in the answer if you’d prefer people to call and speak to you directly.
Of course, this new FAQ feature does not prevent visitors from using the chat function in the standard way – if someone has a question that’s not in your FAQ or they need some other kind of help, they can just type a message in as normal and you’ll be notified as per your chat notification settings.
It may seem like a small change, but adding a FAQ is an excellent way for Google to assist business owners who get a high volume of the same questions over and over, as well as small business owners who may not always be able to respond to messages right away. The ability to automate the response process is a key factor in letting potential customers know that you care about helping them get the answers they need.
Managing the customer’s journey is a complex process. Contact us for a free consultation, and we’ll help you understand more about how to turn visitors into leads and leads into loyal customers, with personalized tips tailored for your business.
COGO Interactive is an award-winning digital marketing agency specializing in online marketing strategy, web design, SEO and social media marketing. We work with clients in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC and across the nation.
