5 minute read
In this article you’ll discover:
- What potential customers actually notice when they find your business on Google
- Why business owners often see their own listing differently than customers do
- The small details that can quietly influence a customer’s decision
- A simple way to see your business through a customer’s eyes
Have you ever Googled your own business?
Most business owners have.
But there’s a problem.
When you look at your own business on Google, you already know everything about it. You know your employees. You know the quality of your work. You know what happens behind the front door.
Your prospective customer knows none of that.
They’re seeing you for the first time.
And they’re making decisions based entirely on what’s in front of them.
That’s why one of the most useful things a business owner can do is learn to look at their Google presence through the eyes of a complete stranger.
Your Customer Isn’t Studying Your Business
Here’s something that’s easy to forget.
Most people aren’t carefully researching every business they find.
They’re scanning.
They search for something like:
Dentist near me
Italian restaurant
Wedding venue
Auto repair
Then Google presents them with several choices.
Within seconds, they’re looking at business names, star ratings, number of reviews, photographs, hours, location and other information.
They may click on two or three businesses.
Or they may choose one almost immediately.
That means your business isn’t being evaluated in isolation.
It’s being evaluated alongside your competitors.
Photos Often Get Noticed First
We’re visual creatures.
When several businesses appear on a screen, photographs can attract our attention before we’ve read very much at all.
A bright, professional photograph of an inviting restaurant can make us want to see more.
A beautiful hotel room can make us imagine staying there.
A clean, comfortable dental office can quietly reduce some of the anxiety a new patient may have.
Photography gives customers something words can’t.
It lets them picture themselves there.
But photographs also work in the opposite direction.
Dark interiors, outdated images, cluttered spaces or poor-quality photographs can create uncertainty.
The customer may never consciously think:
Those photographs aren’t very good.
They simply keep looking.
Reviews Matter—But There’s More to the Story
Obviously, reviews are important.
A business with strong reviews immediately has an advantage.
But customers don’t necessarily make their decision based on stars alone.
Imagine you’re comparing two restaurants.
Both have a 4.7-star rating.
One has current photographs showing a beautiful dining room, attractive food, friendly staff and a welcoming atmosphere.
The other has a handful of dark photos, an old exterior shot and several customer-uploaded pictures that don’t really show the restaurant.
Which one would you be more inclined to visit?
The reviews may have gotten both businesses into consideration.
The presentation can help determine which one gets chosen.
Customers Notice Signs of Neglect
Google provides customers with a surprising number of clues about a business.
- Are the hours correct?
- Does the phone number work?
- Is the website easy to find?
- Are there recent photographs?
- Has the business responded to reviews?
- Does the exterior photograph still match what someone will see when they arrive?
None of these things alone will necessarily cost you a customer.
But together they create an impression.
A current, complete, professional presence suggests that somebody is paying attention.
An outdated or neglected presence can suggest the opposite.
And remember—the customer has no way of knowing whether that impression is accurate.
They can only judge what they see.
There’s Also Something Customers Are Looking For Without Realizing It
“We had been discussing how to get a real first quality walk-through tour of the interior of our store and outside pictures that truly represent the selection of merchandise and the size of our store. Jack is the professional we had been waiting for to get the job done and give it the personal care and commitment that it deserved. We can’t say enough good things about Jack, personable and top notch! A great job!”
Tim Koehler – Selden’s of Olympia (furniture store)
They’re looking for reassurance.
Think about what happens when you’re considering a business you’ve never visited.
You have questions.
Is this place legitimate?
Does it look clean?
Will I feel comfortable there?
Is this really the kind of business I’m looking for?
What will it be like when I arrive?
A strong Google presence begins answering those questions before the customer ever contacts you.
That’s particularly important for businesses where the customer will physically visit the location.
- Restaurants.
- Dental and medical offices.
- Hotels.
- Fitness studios.
- Retail stores.
- Salons.
- Wedding venues.
The more customers can see and understand beforehand, the less uncertainty they have about taking the next step.
Business Owners Have a Blind Spot
After working around a business every day, it’s almost impossible to see it the way a new customer does.
You know that the photograph showing your old sign was taken six years ago.
The customer doesn’t.
You know you’ve completely remodeled the waiting room.
The customer only knows what’s pictured on Google.
You know your staff is friendly and welcoming.
But if there aren’t any photographs of your people, the customer can’t see that either.
That’s why evaluating your own online presence can be surprisingly difficult.
You’re filling in the missing information without realizing you’re doing it.
Your customer can’t.
Try the Stranger Test
Here’s something you can do in five minutes.
Open Google and search for the type of business you operate rather than searching for your business by name.
For example:
Dentist Olympia WA
or
Restaurant Lacey WA
Find your business among the results.
Now look at the businesses around it.
Don’t think like the owner.
Think like the customer.
Ask yourself:
Which business catches my attention first?
Which one looks most inviting?
Which one appears most trustworthy?
Which one gives me the clearest idea of what to expect?
And finally:
If I knew nothing about these businesses, which one would I choose?
That’s a very different exercise from simply Googling your business to make sure it’s there.
Your Google Presence Is Telling a Story
Whether you’ve intentionally created it or not, your Google Business Profile tells prospective customers a story.
Your photographs tell part of it.
Your reviews tell another part.
Your business information, website, responses, updates and overall presentation fill in the rest.
When all of those pieces work together, customers get a clear picture of who you are and what they can expect.
When they don’t, customers are left to fill in the blanks.
And that’s not something you want to leave to chance.
Final Thought
You know how good your business is.
Your existing customers probably know it too.
The challenge is communicating that to someone who has never heard of you.
That person may give you only a few seconds before looking at the next option.
So every once in a while, stop looking at your Google presence as the owner.
Look at it as the customer.
You may be surprised by what you see.
About the Author
Jack von Eberstein is the founder of Online Business Tours and has spent more than a decade helping Washington businesses improve their online presence through professional photography, Google Business Profile optimization, and immersive 360° virtual tours. His work has been viewed more than 250 million times on Google.
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