It can be to get noticed in a crowded market. Most of our clients have listened to us and set up a Google Business Profile to help customers find their shop, but few have considered Bing? Yet millions of Australians use Bing daily to search for their shopping. If your business isn’t listed on Bing Places for Business, you’re missing out on a good chunk of potential customers. This free tool helps put your shop on Bing’s search results and maps. It makes it easier for people looking to find you. Setting up a Bing Places profile is quick, simple and free. It's like hanging a sign for your shop in a digital world.
"Bing Places for Business is a free service offered by Microsoft that allows businesses to create and manage their presence on Bing Maps and search results, it is similar to Google My Business. It helps businesses get listed and provides a platform to manage information about their physical locations, including details like address, phone number, hours of operation, website, and more."
Why Bing Places Is a Game-Changer for Your Shop
Search
When someone nearby wants to buy a lottery ticket, they commonly ask on their phones, "lotto near me". If you want your lotto business to pop up in front of them in Bing, then you should have a Bing Places for Business account. Doing this will increase the chance that your shop will be in the search results. In Australia, Bing has millions of searches a day. That’s a lot of potential customers you could be reaching.
Trust
An accurate Bing Places profile builds trust.
How to Set Up Your Bing Places Profile
Here’s how to get started, step by step, based on my experience helping retailers get online.
It not hard so getting your shop on Bing Places is straightforward, especially if you’ve already got a Google Business Profile. You can often pull your details straight from Google, saving you time.
Head to Bing Places
Open your browser and go to here www.bingplaces.com. This is where you’ll set up and manage your listing.
Sign In or Get an Account
You’ll need a Microsoft account. If you don’t have one, don’t worry. It takes only a few minutes to set one up.
Find or Add Your Business
Type in your shop’s name and address or phone number to see if Bing already knows about you.
The odds are that it does.
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If your business shows up, click “Claim this business” to prove you’re the owner. This step stops anyone else from messing with your details—something I’ve seen people do to competitors by putting in false information about them.
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If Bing doesn’t find your shop, select “Add new business.” You can import details from your Google Business Profile, which is a lifesaver, or enter everything manually if needed.
Your Business Details
This is where you need to be careful. Enter then double-check your shop’s name, address, phone number, and hours. I once worked with a retailer who lost business as their address was incorrect, don’t let that be you.
If you’ve got a website, add it so customers can browse your products online.
Pick categories that fit your business, like “pet supplies” or “lotto” so Bing shows your shop to the right people.
Photos
Add some photos of your shop—your storefront, the inside, or your bestselling products. Make them good as people will give preference to clear, bright photos. What I suggest is a good smartphone and take many pictures. Out of twenty pictures you may get one good image. If you’ve got a short video, like a quick tour of your shop, upload that too as it makes your listing stand out.
Connect Your Social Media
While you at it link in your Instagram, Facebook, or other social media pages. This lets customers follow you online, see your latest deals, and feel more connected to your brand. It’s a small touch that builds loyalty.
Verify Your Listing
Bing needs to confirm you’re the real deal, usually they do this through a phone call, email, or postcard. Don’t skip this. They will not give you a place unless you are verified.
Handling Your Bing Places
Setting up your profile is just the start.
Keep Your Info Up to Date
Life moves, your hours, phone number, or a holiday closure can happen so update your Bing Places profile as soon as things change.
Ask Customers about getting Reviews
Ask happy customers to put a review in your Bing Places profile.
Always respond to reviews, whether they’re glowing or critical. A polite, professional response to a negative review shows you care. Fun fact: a rating around 4.2 stars feels authentic to customers, much more seems suspicious. If I see 100 ratings and all are 5 stars, I am sure that someone is doing some funny business. It does not matter how hard you try there is always someone.
Mistakes That Can Trip You Up
It’s easy to make small mistakes. Based on what I’ve seen retailers struggle with, here's what to watch out for.
Double-check your details
Always double check, make sure that the information is right. Inaccurate information is the biggest mistake! Incorrect phone numbers, addresses, or hours lead to frustrated customers and lost business. Always double-check your details.
Leaving Fields Blank
Every field in your Bing Places profile is an opportunity to provide more information to potential customers. Don't leave sections empty. So fill all the boxes; a half-empty listing looks unprofessional.
Poor Quality Photos
Blurry, dark, or unprofessional photos can deter potential customers. As a rule, take 20 pictures of something and pick a good one. Invest in good quality images will showcase your business positively.
Ignoring Reviews
Not responding to reviews (especially negative ones) gives the impression that you don't care about your customers. Always engage respectfully and professionally. Always offer the person to come to discuss it.
Choosing Irrelevant Categories
Selecting categories that sell your business. Ask yourself why do they come to your shop.
Forgetting to Verify
They will not put up your listing until verified, so don't skip this crucial step.
Write for humans
While using computer keywords is good, its a turnoff for people, write for humans first, then for search engines.
Not Monitoring Performance
Failing to check your Bing Places insights means you're missing out on free and valuable data on how customers interact with your listing.
Check regularly
At least once every six months check that the details are correct. A lot can happen in that period.
Wrap-Up
Ready to get more eyes on your shop? Head to Bing Places for Business today, follow these steps, and keep your profile up to date. If you need more tips or want to dive deeper into local SEO, check out Bing’s help resources or reach out to a retail marketing expert. Your next customer might be one search away—don’t miss them.
Written by:
Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director at POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience. He consults to various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.
