Calls to Businesses from Google My Business Up 61% During Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has changed consumer behavior. Face-to-face transactions and in-person conversations have transformed into curbsid...

Calls to Businesses

The coronavirus pandemic has changed consumer behavior. Face-to-face transactions and in-person conversations have transformed into curbside services, online orders, and phone conversations.

According to the latest CallRail’s report, businesses witnessed a 61% increase in calls from Google My Business during the pandemic.

Calls from Google My Business Listings on the Rise

Between late February and mid-April, total call volume declined 26% as there were limited business activities, states CallRail’s report.

As businesses started to reopen, call volume climbed. There was a 35% growth in call volume between June 2019 and June 2020. And the call volume reached 27% higher than pre-pandemic levels, as found in the report.

Also, there was a 61% increase in calls from Google My Business from January 2020 to July 2020.

Madelyn Wing, director of product and customer marketing at CallRail, said, “COVID-19 upended the standard way SMB owners were used to operating and running their businesses. We analyzed over 100M phone calls to better understand how consumer preferences have changed and to help these small businesses adapt to new customer behaviors. CallRail’s phone call data showed a clear picture of how the buying process shifted as the world entered lockdowns all the way through to gradual reopening. The data indicates that customers are ready to talk, as call volume across industries climbed since mid-May, even surpassing pre-pandemic levels,”

What’s Behind GMB Call Volume Surge?

Many businesses were completely closed, while some were partially closed during lockdowns. When businesses started to reopen in May 2020, customers were eager to reach out to businesses. And Google My Businesses is the ideal way to find whether a business is reopened or changed its opening hours. This is the main reason for the GMB call volume surge.

Key Takeaway

Businesses are reopening in all states. As a result, consumers are increasingly calling them to inquire about hours of business operations, safety procedures, and online offerings. And Google My Business is often the first point of contact.

So, being a small business owner, you should ensure that your Google My Business Page is up-to-date with all the necessary information. Doing so will help you offer a better customer experience.

Also, you should try to adopt the latest marketing trends for the COVID-19 crisis and recovery.

“Although many SMBs have taken steps to reopen safely, we’re far from being “back to normal.” Amid the uncertainty, SMBs need to clearly keep customers informed and provide quality experiences to keep them engaged, whether it’s in-person, over the phone, or online,” Madelyn added.

You can click here to know more about CallRail’s report.

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, "Calls to Businesses from Google My Business Up 61% During Pandemic" was first published on Small Business Trends