The simple practice of maintaining up-to-date business and holiday hours on platforms like Google Business Profile, Bing Places, and Yelp is crucial for customer service and business reputation management.
Manage Customer Expectations
During the holidays especially, customers may have different schedules and shopping patterns and may be relying on your business listing information to plan their visits. When, for example, potential customers search for your business on Google Maps, Apple Maps, or your website, they can quickly determine if your business is open or closed during the holidays. Providing clear holiday hours helps manage their expectations and prevents frustration.
Establish Trust and Reliability
Consistently updating holiday hours across your business profiles and website shows professionalism and reliability. When customers see that you’ve taken the time to provide accurate information, they are more likely to trust your business.
Earn Positive Reviews
Providing accurate business hours can foster positive reviews and positively impact your reputation. When customers have a seamless experience, they are more likely to leave positive feedback and recommend your business to others.
Bonus Tip
Some platforms such as Google Business Profile allow you to customize your hours, even outside of holidays. Google offers full flexibility, including the ability to close in the middle of the day for a period of time, schedule different hours for seniors or drive-through services, and even random closures for your holiday party!
Coordinating your business/holiday hours across multiple listings and consistently with your website can be logistically challenging and time-consuming. For our clients currently enrolled in a local SEO program, we are managing these updates and monitoring algorithms for you, ensuring your business information remains accurate and current. If you are a business considering engaging in a local search program, we’d love to chat!