During the Covid-19 pandemic, Google introduced several new features to Google Listings. It is temporary closure of the company , and special Covid-19 pandemic entry where you can provide customers with the most important information.
- new opening hours
- possible delays in orders or services provided
- delivery or pickup options
- recommendations for clients who want to visit you
Change the opening hours or mark the premises as temporarily closed?
One of the most important things about a google business card is maintaining up-to-date information about our company and contact with the client, more precisely:
- Address and its designation a pin on the map
- Telephone
- A website address
- Opening hours of the premises
- Company description
- Respond to feedback
- Stay in touch with your customers
- Change or add attributes (pickup in person, delivery to go, pickup outside)
Business hours
Business hours during a pandemic, they are so important that everyone who has the opportunity should stay at home. Most companies at this time are either completely closed, have changed working hours, or ask customers to contact them by phone before visiting.
If your company has changed opening hours, please update them. You can also add relevant information in a special post about which I am writing later in this post.
It shines e what is it you annoyed when you want to drive to some company or store that you found on the maps and only on the spot you find out that it is closed, and you went to it through half the city?
The company is temporarily closed
If your business is completely shut down during a pandemic, you can mark it as temporarily closed. So your customers are informed and you can undo this change afterwards.
However, Google advises that in the event of when you run catering services with delivery or pickup to take away do not mark the company as temporarily closed. Because the information about the offer will disappear from your listing. (will be hidden while closing)
Does a temporary shutdown cause you to lose your position in Google results?
According to the information in the Google My Business help, the temporary closure of the premises will not adversely affect the company’s position gained so far. Of course, when you mark a company, it will not stand out like open companies, but if you add information about it on a Google business card, it will be a better image move than your inaction. Customers don’t like to bounce off the door.
“Marking a company as temporarily closed will not affect its local search ranking – it will continue to be treated as open companies. Companies offering on-site pickup or delivery should not be flagged as temporarily closed. If they are marked like this, their offer will not be displayed on Google. “
Google My Business – Pomo c
How to inform customers?
I’ll show you how to do all of this later in this post. You will learn how to add a special post and mark a business as temporarily closed.
1. Log in to the My Business account
To start with, z log into your Google My Business account . To do this, go to the address from the browser https://business.google.com/ and be logged in to the account associated with the listing. If you are logged in You can also find the icon of all services to your Google account in the upper right corner (e.g. by going to the Google.pl website) and click the link there My company.
2. Select the appropriate business card
3. Add a post about your company’s activities during the Covid-19 pandemic
On the main page you will see information about the possibility of adding a special post. This is where you can provide the most important information for customers, such as new opening hours, new delivery options, or recommendations for visitors to your company.
I inform about the suspension of all reporting services and order options virtual walk around the company while it is empty. So that customers can visit you without leaving home.
On the main page, you will see a window like this on the right. If you log in from the phone via the mobile application, you will see a similar message.
You should see a window where you can inform about changes in your company and add a link, e.g. to the possibility of ordering take-out food – if you run a restaurant.
4. Publish
After all, we click “Publish” and we have to wait for the post to be verified. It may take a little longer than usual, but don’t worry. Google is doing its best to provide up-to-date information in the current situation.
Going back a few steps back is also worth changing company opening hours . You can edit them, or add special opening hours for the following days, but it is more time-consuming.
Remember to change the hours after the pandemic ends.
How to mark a company as temporarily closed?
The knock on option is available only from a browser on a computer. In the Moja Firma application, only the permanently closed option is available. To select it in the options on the right select Information.
On the right, almost at the bottom, you will see the option “ Mark the business as closed on Google “Where you can choose:
- Open
- Mark as temporarily closed
- Mark as permanently closed
- Remove the business card
After selecting the company as temporarily closed, that’s all, you just have to wait for the verifications and it’s ready.
Also, remember to mark your business as open after all.
Why was my business card marked temporarily closed?
Sometimes it may happen that Google automatically marks your business as temporarily closed. This is because Google receives information from reliable sources, which are mainly national, provincial and local authorities, and special companies and institutions about which local should be closed. Usually these are:
- schools
- cinema
- museums
- gyms
- some stores
If you made a mistake, you can change it by logging in to your Google My Business listing and setting your business to Open.
