Apple today launched Apple Business Connect. This free tool enables businesses of all sizes to claim a place card for an address and design how key information is presented to more than a billion Apple users across apps including Apple Maps, Messages, Wallet, Siri and more.
Improving Customer Engagement in the Apple Maps App
According to Apple, with Business Connect, businesses all over the world can manage their information directly in the interactive location card of the Apple Maps app, such as adding and updating photos and logos, allowing customers to order food or make reservations directly in the Maps app seat, inform customers about special promotions, etc.
The Showcase function is added to the location card, allowing businesses to display offers or promotions to customers, such as seasonal menus, product discounts, and more. Businesses can easily update the Showcase columns in their location cards through Business Connect. The Showcase feature is available in the U.S. starting today and will be available to global enterprises in the coming months.
Businesses can also provide useful information to customers by highlighting actions that can be performed directly in the map app place card. Order groceries with Insacart, book a hotel with Booking.com, reserve a table for dinner with OpenTable, and more, all with just one tap.
How to sign up for Business Connect
Business owners can sign up for Business Connect by visiting the self-service website from any desktop or laptop with an existing Apple ID or creating a new Apple ID. Once a business is onboarded and verified by Apple, they can claim the address and begin updating and personalizing their location cards for free.
If the enterprise has multiple addresses, you can contact brand management companies such as Reputation, Rio SEO, SOCi, Uberall, and Yext, and use the Business Connect API in Business Connect to add accurate and up-to-date information to the map app in batches.
Apple Tools for Small Business
Apple also designed Business Connect with small businesses in mind, providing them with the same means and functions of customizing their corporate digital image as international brands. Business Connect and Apple complement each other with a broad range of services designed to help small businesses grow and reach consumers, including Tap to Pay on iPhone, allowing businesses to seamlessly and securely integrate with Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards and Other digital wallets only need to use iPhone one touch; another example is the subscription service Business Essentials, which provides one-stop device management, round-the-clock support services and cloud storage services.
