Apple Business Connect first appeared in the U.S. in January 2023, and it’s now available in the U.K. and other countries. It’s a tool which is designed to help all businesses, but it’s especially beneficial for smaller companies, I’d say.
It’s designed to be simple to use and means that companies can claim their location place cards in Apple Maps. It then allows the business to customize how the information appears, making for an attractive and unique calling card. And it appears not just in Apple Maps but in other apps, too, such as Messages, Wallet and more, such as Siri, Spotlight and Safari.
Local businesses can take control in a powerful and effective way and Apple is keen for these companies to succeed, hence providing the tools and software to make it easy for companies to control how they look and helping them contact their customers. Happily, there is no charge for any of it.
Apple is not unique in offering this kind of presence to businesses, but it’s noticeable just how attractive the place cards look, thanks to the capability to upload high-resolution photos of the business. These include what’s called the cover image, which sits at the top of the card and is meant to set the tone that the company wants to achieve.
Owners can update their opening hours, for instance, which is especially useful at times of public holidays, but also add special offers or incentives to customers. These are called Showcases and can be used to promote a new line or mention a discount or an upcoming event.
Companies can also edit what category they fall into, something that’s new and which permits not just choosing the best top level category but sub-categories as well, so a restaurant can not only ensure it falls into the Restaurants category, but choose the right sub-category, like Japanese, as well. These sub-categories are chosen from a list supplied by Apple, but it’s claimed that it’s an exhaustive list, so even niche businesses can find their perfect fit.
It’s a straightforward process to register, just by the company using its existing Apple ID or creating a new one at what Apple calls a self-service website, businessconnect.apple.com.
, on any computer. Once Apple has verified the business, it can claim its location and begin personalizing the place card. Everything in this process is free. There are even tools which businesses with multiple locations can take advantage of for updating information at scale.
Apple Maps had a rough introduction, to say the least, but it is now a sensational mapping system, and the one I turn to first because it is efficient, reliable and looks gorgeous. Apple Business Connect is another way that Apple has improved the system, building in compatibility with digital wallets, for instance, and providing a very cool way for companies to promote themselves.
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