We were excited when we received a letter from Google congratulating us that Envoy, Inc., is a “Favorite Place on Google.” It was exciting because it sounded like something really cool. But we didn’t really know why we were chosen as a “Favorite Place on Google” or how that title could benefit us. We did, however, get a nifty window decal with a bar code on it.
Upon further investigation, we discovered that Google announced the program in December. To become a “Favorite Place on Google,” a business must be one of the “most sought out and researched” places on Google.com and Google Maps. If your business achieves this honor, then Google sends you a window decal with a QR bar code on it. Anyone who has a smart phone with an auto-focus camera and a QR reader app (such as ScanLife, BeeTagg, iMatrix etc.) installed can scan a bar code. Once the bar code is scanned, it automatically takes the user to the business’s Google listing for more information and reviews about the business.
“Favorite Places on Google” is a unique program that offers another way for prospects and customers to learn about your business. In order to qualify, you first must claim your listing with Google’s Local Business Center and then update your listing with the correct information.
Now, about those QR readers … We’ve discovered that finding them for some BlackBerry models can be frustrating. They seem to be readily available for the Tour and Storm, but finding them for the Curve can take a few downloads to find the right one (BeeTagg from BlackBerry AppWorld works). The good thing is that most QR reader apps are free. If you have a Droid or any other smart phone running Android, you should have no problem finding a QR reader app, and the same is true if you’re an iPhone user.
Once your QR reader app is installed, you can test it here. A helpful hint: when scanning a bar code, hold your phone directly in front of the bar code; don’t tilt your phone or perform the scan from an angle.
We scanned our new window decal, and sure enough, it brought us right to Envoy’s Google business listing. While this is really neat, and we’re proud to be a “Favorite Place on Google,” I’m not sure there’s much practical value to it for most people. You have to have a smart phone with Internet access to be able to scan the bar codes and visit the Google business listing, and while plenty of people have smart phones, about 78 percent of people still use regular mobile phones.
Now we’re thinking about ways to incorporate “Favorite Places on Google” into marketing plans …
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