Apple launches Business Connect, a competitor to Google Business. Apple Business Connect is a free tool that enables businesses of all sizes to claim their location place cards and personalise how key information appears to over a billion Apple customers across Apple Maps, Messages, Wallet, Siri, and other apps.
Businesses all over the world can now manage their information directly in the interactive Apple Maps place card, including adding and updating photos and logos, inviting customers to take actions like ordering food or making a reservation directly from Maps, and presenting customers with special promotions, thanks to Business Connect.
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Showcases, a new place card feature, allows businesses to present guests with offers and incentives such as seasonal menu items, product discounts, and more. Through Business Connect, businesses can easily edit the Showcase part of their place card. Showcases are already available to businesses in the United States and will be offered to enterprises worldwide in the coming months.
Businesses can also provide important information to clients by highlighting actions for them to do right from the Maps location card, such as ordering groceries with Instacart, making a hotel reservation with Booking.com, or reserving a table for dinner with OpenTable, and more, with a single tap.
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Business owners can register for Business Connect at the self-service website using their current Apple ID — or create a new Apple ID — from any desktop or laptop computer. After logging in and being authenticated by Apple, a business may claim their location(s) and begin updating and personalizing their place card for free.
Business Connect features the Business Connect API, which allows businesses with several locations to effortlessly send accurate, up-to-date information to Maps at scale via listing management agencies like Reputation, Rio SEO, SOCi, Uberall, and Yext.