Benefits of Google Maps Street View for your Businesses

Google Maps stands as an indispensable tool, boasting a vast reach: a staggering 81% of retail shoppers initiate their purchasing journey with online research. For retailers, shopping center owners, and managers, harnessing the potential of Google Maps is paramount. Ensuring precise placement of business pins and regular updates to your business profile are essential practices.

The search algorithms of Google Maps Street View heavily prioritize proximity and street view, aiming to provide searchers with the most accurate and nearest results based on their location. By integrating Street View and meticulously positioning tenant pins, you streamline the process for shoppers to locate your establishment.

Here are 8 compelling reasons why incorporating your shopping center into Google Street View is imperative.

One of the most important benefits of Google Maps Street View is trust.

In today's era of mistrust, where skepticism towards institutions, governments, businesses, and marketing prevails, authenticity holds immense value. With the bombardment of 4,000 to 10,000 ads daily, consumers no longer blindly trust advertising messages. Street View allows us to be transparent and demonstrate to customers that we have nothing to hide. Rather than just telling them who we are, we can show them, fostering trust and setting ourselves apart from competitors.

Meet customers’ need for research

Today's consumers are research-obsessed. According to Google, research-driven consumers are motivated by excitement, confidence, and the pursuit of the best experience possible. Providing them with information they would otherwise have to search for on various sites in a more trustworthy manner, Street View meets customers' need for research. Moreover, it can potentially boost sales by getting customers excited and prepared before they even step foot in our business.

Improve the connection with customers

By enabling customers to virtually visit our store or restaurant from the comfort of their homes, we demonstrate our commitment to providing them with the best possible customer experience. Many businesses try to attract customers under pretenses, leading to disappointment when customers realize the reality doesn't match their expectations. Street View allows us to showcase the atmosphere of our establishment or highlight the quality of our offerings, ensuring that customers see that we meet their exact needs.

Google Maps street view is also an excellent way to reach our target audience.

For instance, if we're a sports bar targeting college football fans, showcasing our football-themed decor through Street View can attract our desired audience. College football enthusiasts can take a virtual tour of our establishment and be drawn in by our decor. In Google Maps search results, where proximity plays a crucial role, our Street View imagery may just be the tipping point for potential customers comparing us to local competitors who don’t offer Street View access.

Improved customer experience:

With Google Street View, we can offer customers a better understanding of what our business entails, leading to a more positive customer experience. For instance, according to a study conducted by Google, customers who utilized Google Street View were more inclined to have a positive experience at our establishment.

Increased sales:

Google Street View presents an opportunity for us to attract new customers and boost sales. As per a study conducted by Google, businesses equipped with Google Street View imagery were shown to be more effective in generating leads and driving sales.

Help customers make informed decisions:

We understand that consumers like to be well-prepared, especially when visiting a new place. Typically, they scour websites for information or sift through review sites to gather all necessary details: "Are there sufficient parking spaces?" "Do I need to arrive early to secure a spot?" "Where can I park if there's limited space?"

With Google Maps Street View, we provide customers with answers to these questions and more in one convenient location. By offering a virtual tour of our spaces, customers can plan accordingly for their visit, alleviating concerns about potential hiccups.

Passive marketing:

User-generated content, word-of-mouth recommendations, and reviews are all forms of trusted and highly effective marketing.

By granting customers access to Google Maps Street View of our business, we can further leverage these marketing "strategies" as our advocates now can visually showcase their experiences to their family, friends, and followers.

Imagine this scenario: one of our customers is enjoying dinner with friends and recounts their recent visit to our restaurant. They commend the food, service, and the cozy atmosphere. To illustrate their experience, they pull out their phone and provide a virtual tour of our establishment to their friends. Their friends will likely consider our restaurant for their next outing, as they know it's reputable and they're already excited about it thanks to the virtual visit.

Real-World Examples of Businesses That Have Used Google Street View

Numerous businesses have utilized Google Street View to enhance their operations. Here are a few examples:

Apple: Apple employs Google Street View to offer potential customers a virtual tour of their retail stores. This enables customers to explore the store layout and ambiance remotely, potentially boosting sales.

McDonald's: McDonald's utilizes Google Street View to provide customers with a visual guide to their nearby outlets. This feature proves invaluable, particularly for individuals unfamiliar with a location.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Metropolitan Museum of Art leverages Google Street View to offer prospective visitors a virtual walkthrough of its exhibits. This interactive experience allows patrons to preview the museum's offerings, potentially increasing visitor engagement and revenue.

Tips for Using Google Street View to Benefit Your Business

If we aim to leverage Google Street View to our business's advantage, here are some helpful tips:

Ensure our business is listed on Google Maps: The initial step is to ensure our business is listed on Google Maps, guaranteeing visibility in Google Street View searches.

Incorporate Google Street View imagery into our Google My Business listing: Once our business is listed on Google Maps, we can integrate Google Street View imagery into our listing. This involves capturing a 360-degree photo of our premises.

Promote our Google Street View imagery: After adding Google Street View imagery to our business listing, it's crucial to promote it. This can be achieved by sharing the link to our Google Street View imagery on various platforms such as social media and our website.

Google Street View proves to be a potent tool that can enhance our business operations significantly. By adhering to the suggestions outlined in this guide, we can utilize Google Street View to enhance our visibility, foster trust, elevate customer experience, and ultimately drive sales.

Google Maps Street View is an invaluable tool, providing instant access to vital information for today's impatient consumers accustomed to finding quick solutions on Google. With Cloodot, managing multiple Google My Business locations becomes effortless. Responding to numerous reviews is made efficient through AI-powered features like natural language generation and automated replies, ensuring high-quality interactions while saving valuable time. Moreover, Cloodot's review collection tools empower businesses to gather positive endorsements, enhancing their competitive edge in search results. Choose Cloodot to outshine competitors and effortlessly elevate your Google My Business performance, making it the ultimate solution for businesses seeking success in the digital realm.