Harnessing Google My Business’s Extended Hours Feature for Maximum Local Impact

February 27, 2024

How can you ensure that your target customers get instant access to information?

Consider this: 46% (source: Hubspot) of all Google searches are seeking local information, highlighting the immense potential for businesses to connect with their target audience. Thus, they need an optimized online presence. Google My Business (GMB, also known as Google Business Profile) offers a platform for local service businesses to significantly enhance their visibility and attract more customers.

Among its features, the “Extended Hours” stands out, providing businesses the opportunity to advertise additional availability. This can be a game-changer in attracting customers who are searching for services outside of the usual business hours. Integrating such features into your marketing strategy can significantly impact your ability to draw in more foot traffic, making it essential for businesses to understand and utilize these tools effectively.

So, let’s dive right in, to explore more about the Extended Hours feature and how it can help local businesses grow.

Understanding the Extended Hours Feature

Businesses often face the challenge of adjusting their hours of operation, to accommodate special events or holidays. GMB an Extended Hours feature to facilitate this process, allowing businesses to temporarily adjust their schedules without disrupting their regular operations.

But what exactly distinguishes these extended hours from regular hours?

Regular hours represent the standard schedule during which businesses are typically open to customers. They reflect the usual operating hours for the business, indicating when services are available and inquiries can be addressed. In contrast, extended hours refer to temporary modifications made to the regular schedule. These adjustments are often implemented to cater to special events, holidays, or other exceptional circumstances.

The Extended Hours feature on GMB enables businesses to define specific timeframes for these temporary adjustments, ensuring clarity for both businesses and customers.

The Basics of Extended Hour Feature

Flexibility: You can tweak your operating hours temporarily for up to 6 days using special hours or extended hours feature.
Perfect for Special Occasions: Whether it’s a holiday, a unique event, or any other extraordinary circumstance, special hours come to the rescue.
Verification is Key: Even if your hours remain the same as usual, it’s crucial to confirm them to ensure customers stay informed.

How to Set Up?

Setting up the extended hours feature is very simple. Here are the steps:

Head over to your Business Profile to get started.
Click on the Hours tab and then navigate to “Special hours.”
Pick the date for which you want to establish special hours.
Update your hours accordingly – whether you’re open, closed, or operating on a different schedule for that day.
Once you’ve made the necessary adjustments, save your changes, and you’re good to go!

Using The Extended Hours Feature for Maximum Impact

By strategically utilizing this feature, businesses can significantly enhance their visibility, accessibility, and overall customer experience. Here’s how to make the most of it:

Identify relevant scenarios for using Extended Hours:

Aligning extended hours with promotional activities or events can attract more customers during specific periods.
Adjusting hours to accommodate early risers or night owls allows businesses to better serve diverse customer preferences and schedules.
Extending hours to provide services such as delivery or consultations caters to customers’ needs beyond traditional operating times.

Strategize for effective implementation:

Make sure you clearly communicate the purpose and duration of extended hours. Transparency is essential for managing customer expectations and ensuring a positive experience.
Ensure adequate staffing and resources are available. They are necessary to meet customer demands during extended hours, maintaining service quality and efficiency.
Compelling visuals and detailed descriptions for each extended hour entry can attract attention and convey the value of extended services.

Leverage additional GMB features:

Connecting extended hours to relevant services or promotions helps customers understand the benefits of visiting during those times.
Addressing customer inquiries about extended hours in the Q&A section demonstrates responsiveness and enhances customer satisfaction.
Encourage customer reviews and feedback. Positive reviews and feedback from customers who have experienced extended hours can build credibility and attract more business.
Businesses can use the capabilities of SingleInterface to enhance businesses’ online presence and attract more customers. Their expertise empowers businesses to rank higher in “near me” searches, increasing foot traffic and visibility.

These approaches and GMB features can help businesses optimize the Extended Hours feature. With this, they can expand their reach, improve customer satisfaction, and drive overall success.

How to Track and Measure Success?

Monitoring the impact of using extended hours is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of this strategy and making informed decisions. Key metrics to track include:

Website visits
Appointment bookings
Calls
Reviews

These provide insights into customer engagement and satisfaction. Analyzing data through tools like Google Analytics and GMB Insights helps identify trends, strengths, and areas for improvement. Continuously refining your strategy based on data-driven insights can optimize the use of extended hours to maximize business growth and customer satisfaction.

Key Takeaways

Embracing Google My Business’ Extended Hours feature heralds a new era of customer engagement and operational adaptability for businesses. As consumer expectations evolve and digital interactions become increasingly prevalent, the ability to adjust and cater to diverse needs becomes essential. The adoption of Extended Hours represents a strategic move towards enhancing customer satisfaction and remaining competitive in today’s dynamic market landscape. As businesses look to the future, integrating such features becomes integral to staying relevant and thriving in an ever-evolving business environment.