Google+ Business Accounts Now Available!
Google+ is now rolling out business pages for those with a Google+ account. This means that businesses are able to set up pages similar to those on Facebook. Previously the Google+ platform launched and in doing so it left other social sites such as Facebook and Twitter a little bit nervous.
However, when Google+ was launched they only had limited invitations to the site and thus for many actually getting onto there was pretty tough!
After the launch Google+ caused quite a stir and many technology websites branded it as the next big thing in social networking. Some even went as far as claiming that it would beat the existing leader in the world of socials, Facebook.
Mark Zuckerberg the founder of Facebook got himself a Google+ account and maybe he was doing some sneaking around either way what Google+ did present was better privacy controls, circles which allow the user to group their contacts into and control over which people in these circles sees items such as pictures, videos and status updates.
The advanced privacy gave Google+ the edge over Facebook however, looking at Google+ now it hasn’t quite taken off as fast as they would have liked!
Now though our geek at Brick technology web design has been researching the business pages which Google+ has been rolling out. It is very similar to Facebook in that you can create a business page rather than a personal profile and it is these business pages which have got internet marketing experts, social media professionals, companies and brands really excited.
Google+ is welcoming businesses through what they call Google+ Pages program. You need to have a regular Google account to be able to use this but you will be able create a page within the following five categories:
- Local Business or Place
- Product or Brand
- Company, Institution or Organisation
- Arts, Entertainment or Sports
- Other
If you are creating a page for a local business though you get special options including the ability to enter a phone number, they have features which allow customers to easily connect with a physical location of a business. Local pages include a map of the business location, its address, phone number and opening hours. Now we know this sounds familiar to Google Places but currently Google Place pages and Google+ Place must be managed as two separate entities.
A Place page provides information about a business and makes it easy for customers to find local businesses on Google Maps and local search; while a Google+ page provides business owners with additional ways to engage, build relationships and interact directly with customers.
A difference between personal accounts and business pages is that it is fine for businesses to have multiple Google+ pages. Therefore pages can be made for a variety of different entities whereas profiles are just made for people. Brick technology could have an overall business page of Brick technology Web Design but then we could have business pages for specific products such as Brick technology media production or Brick technology internet Marketing.
Many people wrongly believe that clicking a Google+1 button is going to mean that a business page is followed within Google Plus. Instead as is the norm with regular accounts business pages must be added to a Google+ circle.
In comparison to normal pages though the business pages will have something unique in the form of an overall Google+1 account which will appear on their profile page. In the next few weeks Google will be changing the Google+1 count so that it will show all +1’s to a particular site as currently it just shows the +1’s to a particular page.
To encourage brands to become followed Google are launching icons which will allow businesses to encourage this through badges. Through this icon you will be able to link your website to a Google+ page.
Concerns have been raised that someone else could in effect make your page. As anyone can create a business page for any URL without providing proof that they own or are associated with that URL potentially people can pretend to be representing a site which they are not.
Verification of big brands will occur Google have stated and also until a Google+ Page is connected to a website then the pages cannot put the icon or badges up. Already this verification has helped people to find “real brands” and not the fakes which are around.
Whereas some have shot down the Google+ business pages as being none other than personal pages with a brand name and brand logos slapped all over them in reality they could prove to be useful – although Google+ Pages do not have the facility to play games! Diddums!
It would therefore seem that Google+ business pages are following slowly behind Facebook! Ring Brick technology today and see how we can help you set up your business page on Google+ it may just help you bring in some more visitors to your website and in terms of Search Engine Optimisation it could be crucial.