Recently Google announced Websites made with Google Business Profiles Web-builder will be turned off. Here is an explanation of what it means if you have built a website using Google Web-Builder, and what you need to do.
The switching off will be processed through stages with the following phases:
- Phase 1 – The changes will start from March 2024. Customers visiting your website will be redirected to your Business Profile
Websites ending with business.site and negocio.site will be removed from the Business Profile. - Phase 2 – From 10 June 2024 visitors will be shown “Website Not Found”!!
Why is this significant?
To understand the importance of this, we need to understand the significance of Google Business Profile first.
What is Google Business Profile?
This was originally called MyBusiness Profile, and it allows businesses to:
- Identify their location on Google Map
- Showcase their business
- Showcase their products
- Display contact details of the company such as phone number, website address, and create a contact button
- Show opening hours
- Allow public to review the business
- Promote offers
- *Create a website using Google Wed Builder Tools* (*This function is now being turned off).
What is the benefit of Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile is an excellent web presence tool, and not just for enabling potential clients to find businesses on Google Map
Google profile enables people to find out about the companies services, contact details, as well as read reviews, services, products, etc. on search results before they even visit a company’s website.
These functions and benefits will remain in place, even after Google discontinues their web-builder function.
Is Google Business Profile reviews valuable?
If your business is reliant on customers finding you by searching on the web, then this is important. This is particularly significant for businesses that serve consumers from their premises such as Restaurants, Bars, Hotels, Car Dealers, etc.
Even for those who do not serve clients from a specific location, this is a great way of assuring potential clients of your authenticity, as well as what your clients think of your services.
Whilst the reviews are not verified, there is a process of appeal for reviews that appear to be vindictive, or competitors trying to muddy the water, so they are generally a good measure of a business’s performance. This alone is a great way of attracting new clients.
How does Google Business Profile link to your websites?
Google allowed 2 different types of links to your business’s website.
- Create a website using Google’s Website Builder tools – This is being turned off and is the subject of Google’s notice.
- Create a link to your public website on a 3rd party server – This will continue to function, so as long as you are not using either business.site or negocio.site domains, which will be killed off.
What should I do now?
You need to consider which of the following groups you fall into, and follow the actions below.
Type 1 – Users of the business.site or negocio.site domains
- You must purchase a domain name and create a new website from scratch, but be careful about choosing another web-builder product. See this article on the perils of using web-builders.
- You must replace your Website Link on your Google Business Profile with your new domain name and website.
Type 2 – Users with their own domain and own third party hosted websites, who have created a mini-website on Google Business Profile for showcasing only:
- These mini-websites will be killed off, so make sure you update the website link on your Google Business Profile to your real website.
- Enter your main Domain address in the website field of your Google Business Profile now (assuming you had not done this already)
- Do not enter business.site and negocio.site domains as they will be killed off during the switch off.
Summary
Examine your Google Business Profile and make sure you have taken the actions above by June 2024 at the latest. 10 June 2024 is a drop dead date.
Be wary of Web-builder products such as Wix, Squarespace, etc. as they have their own issues (click here to read the article).
If you need help with a new low cost website consider our Open-Source WizWeb, or contact us for advice for your best option.