That is the finding of research commissioned by the Allerdale Borough Council which revealed that 35 percent of firms in the area have not taken advantage of the free online listing.
 
Covering a diverse sample group of more than 1,500 businesses throughout the Borough the investigation is part of Allerdale’s All Doing Digital campaign which aims to help and encourage business owners to make the most of digital opportunities.
 
A Google Business Profile is a free listing which makes key information about a business (such as location, opening hours and contact details) easily accessible to customers – without them having to sift through dozens of search results.
 
While most of the remaining 65 per cent of the sample group have a Google Business Profile, more than half of these profiles are automatically generated by Google and remain unclaimed by the business in question. Often lacking key information, these profiles have received little to no attention from business owners.
 
During the past few months, Allerdale has worked with Carlisle PR and digital marketing firm Intro to help local businesses do more digitally. They have created a range of handy factsheets to support businesses in promoting themselves online – including setting up a Google Business Profile. 
 
The factsheets can be found here: https://bit.ly/AllDoingDigital
 
Intro director Helen Statham said: “There are huge advantages to having a strong online presence and setting up a Google Business Profile is a great way to start. We look forward to seeing many more businesses in Allerdale doing more with digital.”
 
Cllr Mike Johnson, Leader of Allerdale Borough Council, said: “While it is encouraging that the majority of businesses in the district have a Google Business Profile, we would encourage more of them taking the time to add key information to their profiles and make the most of the digital opportunities in general. This is all part of our commitment in our Council Strategy to support local businesses and help our towns and villages to thrive.”