Apple has released a free online tool “Apple Business Connect” that enables companies to add photos, facts, and even limited-time deals to the information card offered by Apple Maps, Messages, Wallet, Siri, and other services. Recently, Apple Books got the Digital Narration feature.
Apple Business Connect: How it works
Existing businesses that are a part of Apple Business Connect can claim their information card, be verified over the phone, and then update information such as store hours and the location of the front door, invite customers to make reservations or food orders directly from Maps, and offer customers special discounts.
Showcases: Businesses could now give clients offers and incentives like seasonal menu items, product discounts, and more thanks to the place card’s new showcases function. Businesses using Business Connect now quickly edit the Showcase part of their location card.
Provide customers with useful information’s: Give users helpful information by highlighting actions they can do right from the Maps place card, such as placing an Instacart grocery order, booking a hotel through Booking.com, reserving a table at an OpenTable restaurant, and more, all with a single tap.
Registering for Business Connect
To sign up for Business Connect on the self-service website, business owners can use their current Apple ID or create a new Apple ID. After logging in and having their business confirmed by Apple, a company could claim their location or locations and start updating and customising their place card for free.
Business Connect API
Businesses at several locations now easily offer accurate, current information to Maps at scale by using listing management services like Reputation, Rio SEO, SOCi, Uberall, and Yext thanks to Business Connect’s Business Connect API.
Apple Tools for Small Businesses
Small businesses are given the same access to and capacity to tailor their digital presence as large brands, according to the company, which designed Business Connect with them in mind.
- The addition of Business Connect to other Apple services like Tap to Pay on iPhone, which enables companies to securely and conveniently accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets with just a simple tap to their iPhone, will help small businesses expand and reach more customers.
- Cloud storage, device management, and 24/7 support are all included in the Business Essentials subscription.
Availability
Business Connects Showcases are now available to businesses in the United States and will be available to businesses worldwide in the coming months.
Speaking about the Apple Business Connect, Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, said,
We created Business Connect to provide Apple users around the world with the most accurate information for places to eat, shop, travel, and more. Apple Business Connect gives every business owner the tools they need to connect with customers more directly, and take more control over the way billions of people see and engage with their products and services every day.