Were you one of the early adopters to Google My Business messaging? I’m talking about this button right here, that allows your customers to message you right from Google’s search results. If you want to read other business related posts, read this one about Service providers support you can get.
If you were, then congratulations, and good for you – and oh by the way, it’s going to break in about 3 weeks unless you follow these steps below.
In case you missed it, Google notified all business owners by email, that the standard SMS messaging will no longer work after November 15th unless you install the app. If you need more information, you can check out Utility Saving Expert
What Should You Do?
In order to keep the messaging process working, or to enable it if you’ve not done so, follow these steps:
- Download the Google My Business app for your phone:
- From Google Play
- From the App(le) Store
2. Log into the app using the Google account with which you’ve claimed your business name
3. Enable the new GMB Messaging feature – either in the app on your phone (“Customers” tab > “Messages”), or from a desktop computer on the “Messages” tab on the left.
Going forward, the convenient text message that came directly to your cell phone , which may be one of those Second Hand iPhones, from potential customers will no longer show up as a normal text message.
Instead you’ll get a phone notification through the Google My Business app, which of course must be left running on your phone at all times, using up your phones resources.
What if You Can’t See Your Business(es)?
Be sure you can see your businesses when you’re logged in on a computer, to make sure you are in the right account.
If you still can’t see it, then you may have your business(es) in in what’s called a “Location Group”. At the time of this writing, the GMB app does not support “Location Groups” so you may not see your businesses in the app.
If that’s the case, from a computer, log into Google My Business and choose to “move” your busines(es) into “ungrouped locations”
Why Are They Doing This?
Why would they do this, when everyone was perfectly happy and excited with the way it worked before? Your guess is as good as mine, but I’m reasonably sure it has to do with retrieving more personal information from both you and your customer. Likely that, and of course, that will lead to them making more money like those that can be earned on sites such as Kcasino.
Regardless; You either MUST install their app, or you have to disable the messaging for your business but that’s not really a problem with all the options.
