Ever wondered how you can be online present even though your business isn't opened yet? Well, not so long ago Google introduced a new feature for Google My Business. This feature isn't only available for existing businesses which are opening new locations but also for businesses that will open their first store! Great news so far, right? But what is this mysterious feature now? Basically Google will allow you to set your future opening date. This will allow you to engage with your customers up to 90 days before the opening of your business.
Within this short overview, provided by Google, we will explain how this feature of future opening dates works.
Create your listing first, leave the verification for later
When you create your business listing, be sure to choose the "Verify later" option when you're prompted to verify. Then, set your future opening date before you verify your business. That way, you'll prevent your business from falsely appearing on Google as "open."
To create your business listing, follow these steps. When prompted to choose a verification option, select More options. Then, under "Verify later," click Later.
Set your future opening date
Eager for setting your future opening date? I bet! Follow these simple steps:
Sign in to Google My Business.
If you have multiple locations, open the location you'd like to manage.
From the menu, click Info.
Find the "Opening date" section and click the Pencil icon .
Enter your opening date.
Click Apply.
Only the year and month of your opening date are required. You can enter a date up to one year in the future. Once you’ve entered the date and verified your business, it will begin to appear on Google 90 days before the opening date.
Engage with customers
At the 90-day mark, you can start to engage with your community. Be sure to use the Google My Business features available to you:
Posts: Use Posts to announce your business opening. Through Posts, you can share an opening day discount or coupon with the community.
Photos: Post photos of your location, and keep the community up-to-date with the progress of your store from construction to opening day.
Merchant description: Explain what your business is all about, and let the community learn about your business straight from the source.
Once your business opens, your listing will appear on Google with a "Recently opened" tag.
Hope you enjoyed this short article about the latest feature of Google My Business. Like always don't hesitate to send your questions to us! We are more than happy to answer them.