It’s no question that at DSG, we passionately promote the importance of claiming your online business listings. On our DSG blog, we tend to put heavier emphasis on the larger platforms such as Google My Business, Yelp, and Facebook. However, these are not the only digital storefronts that you should be focusing on.
There are actually dozens of platforms where a business’ online profiles may appear. Some of these are in unexpected places yet may have a significant impact on your business’ discoverability!
Today, we wanted to explore our list of four high impact and under-the-radar listings that are free to your business.
Apple Maps
Apple Maps is a close runner up to GMB and Yelp. In the United States, nearly half (46%) of all smartphone users use an iPhone. Apple Maps is the default mapping application on all Apple products – including iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers, too. While some Apple users might choose to download a third party mapping application in its place such as Google Maps or Waze, the device still defaults to the Apple Maps application when a user prompts Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, for directions.
Clearly, Apple Maps is a highly used application and navigation apps are generally not top of mind when thinking about online listings. While your business may have been automatically added to the map through another data source, it’s important to ensure your business information is present and accurate. To add your business, visit their website to begin the process. Maps hosts your business name, address, phone number, website, hours, and pulls in reviews from Yelp.
Waze
Waze is another popular mapping application that tracks traffic and road hazards in real time through data collected from its users. Like Apple Maps, when your business is added to the platform, users will be able to search for your company by name and view your basic information from within the app.
Users can add businesses to Waze from right within the app, or by using Waze Map Editor. Your business’ simple Waze profile can display your business name, address, category, website, and phone number. The Waze app additionally allows users to make category-based searches, meaning when you add your business to the platform, you can appear in discovery searches for your business category, too.
Nextdoor
Nextdoor is a social network that focuses on neighborhood groups, user recommendations, and local businesses. The platform is used in more than 275,000 neighborhoods around the world and is present in nearly 1-in-3 U.S. households, with those numbers projected to continue to grow. Businesses on the app can receive user recommendations, which functions similarly to a review system. To learn more about the platform, read DSG’s recent blog on Nextdoor.
It’s free to claim or create your business page on Nextdoor! To get started, head to the site and select “Claim your Free Business Page”. You will need to verify their business through a code sent via your business phone number or address. Nextdoor hosts all of your basic business information including NAP, website, business description, and hours.
Foursquare
Foursquare is an app designed to provide users with personalized recommendations of places to go based on their activity. For businesses, claiming or creating your Foursquare profile opens your business to a network of over 55 million active monthly users. Your business profile on Foursquare not only contains your hours and NAP information, but additionally allows you to add photos, descriptions, links to your company’s social media profiles, and special offers to customers.
Follow this link to begin the process of claiming or creating your business profile on Foursquare and access the substantial user base.
Claiming your business listings on these under-the-radar sites can put your business at the forefront of online discoverability to millions of users who had not previously been exposed to your business. Stay tuned for future DSG blogs, where we’ll highlight the best up-and-coming listing platforms!
