Apple introduced Business Connect on January 11, 2023. It’s an improved version of Apple Maps Connect released in October 2014 and a free tool allowing small and large businesses to customize the information that appears across Apple apps.
Images Source: AppleLet’s look at the old look of Apple Maps Connect below:
Apple Maps Connect: Listing Old Look
Apple Maps Connect: Listing New Look
What Are the New Features of Apple Business Connect?
Businesses can now directly manage their information in the interactive Apple Maps place card, including:
1. Customizable Place Card – businesses can now add photos, header images, logos, descriptions, App links, and useful attributes.
2. Showcases – One of the awesome new features that can help businesses present customers with offers and incentives, like seasonal menu items, product discounts, and more. This feature is available now for those in the US; however, it will be available globally in the coming months.
3. Call to Action – Businesses can provide customers with helpful information by highlighting actions to take directly from the Maps place card.
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- Appointment booking
- Call or chat with the business
- Ordering food or groceries through Instacart
- Making a reservation via OpenTable
- Booking a hotel via Booking.com
- Buying tickets and more!
4. Insights – Apple Business Connect now allows businesses to see their listing’s performance and how customers interact with their business on Apple Maps. This new feature is mainly useful and crucial to businesses and agencies managing listings, especially as Google is removing (and moving) its Insights functionality rather than developing it further.
In Conclusion: With all these useful and valuable new features, it’s clear that Apple Business Connect is truly a rival of Google Business Profile. Taking advantage of these new features can boost business visibility and impact consumers searching for local businesses. Hence, we recommend updating your existing listings and registering your business if you don’t have a listing yet on Apple Business Connect.
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