My name is Victor and I am a local guide for more than 5 years already. I’m from Russia and on the the 8th level of Local Guide progress with more than 37000 points.
Google maps are not so popular in Russia than in US for instance or European Union, but I am here to change it. It is difficult now to find necessary place just typing keywords in google maps application. But every day more and more place are added to maps and my contribution to development is also tangible.
I moved to Saint-Petersburg a couple of years ago. I met one guy, small entrepreneur who has small studio for production of cars’ floor mats. These mats made of really unique material, which absorb water and dust making your car clean and dry; by the way it looks like very stylish. He made mats for my car and it get new view, became clean, despite my children.
Once I recommended his company to my friend, but could not find the location to share the link at the Google Maps. On my next visit I asked him why he did not use maps to inform about his company, he replied he don’t know how to add his company and he does not believe it bring new customers. At that moment I thought how many business lose their customers just because same reasons.
I proposed to add his company to Google Maps if he provides some information and I can make some pictures of his studio and products. He agrees and I spent about an hour to do it.
The result exceeded all expectations: In first day after adding Eva Company were seen by 24 people! It is a big amount in Russia, where google maps is not so popular. In couple of days Google sent me a message that it have been seen by 104 people and it became popular! He get more and more customers every day due to simple search in google: cars’ mats. In some time he was even lack of material due to many orders.
He did not want to lose customers or send it to the competitors due to wait list because no stock of the material to make enough mats. He decided to offer mats for house use, made of material residues which is not enough to make beautiful car’s mate. He sewed hall mats, bathroom mats and even mats for pets’ toilet and presented to the customer and service due to some delay in flagman products.
These new idea was very liked by customers and they ordered more household mats along with cars’. Now it became and second line of his business and he has orders for home mats more than cars!
This is a real example of how maps helps not only increase the customers flow, but also provides new direction at the business! It was my most interesting thing I did as a Local Guide.
I hope that Google maps will grow in Russia and in the nearest future just one small request will provide everyone with the full information about the necessary place and locations with full description and pictures.
I believe that my trip to Connect Live 2020 will help me to get more knowledge about the Local Guides from seniors, share and get more experience about it’s development. My contribution to this program will grow.