How Google My Business is drawing customers to this unique tea barge
- Attract more customers from the surrounding area
- Help customers find their unconventional floating location
- Create and manage an online presence
- Signed-up to Google My Business and created a business profile
- Added the address and ad-hoc opening hours
- Posted mouthwatering photos of the food, location, and barge
- Encouraged customers to leave reviews and responded to each review left
- Responding to reviews allowed Andrew and Lesley to create friendly dialogue with their customers which strengthened the community feel of Whittington's Tea Barge
- 107 reviews with a 4.6-star average
- Over 38,000 views on Google Search and Maps
- 760 client interactions driven by the Business Profile in one month
The customer's ability to find us is key. Our position on Maps shows them that we're actually on the river.
- Andrew Craig, Whittington's Tea Barge
About the company
Food & drink
business
107
Google reviews
+38k
Views on Google Search and Maps
About the goals
With an unconventional floating location on the Thames and a traditional British menu, Whittington's Tea Barge already had bundles of quintessential charm. But co-owners Andrew and Lesley needed more than street signs and word-of-mouth recommendations to attract customers from beyond the local area. To achieve their goal of keeping the classic English tearoom alive, they had to drum up interest through a strong online presence.
Approach
Google My Business gave Andrew and Lesley a single platform where customers could learn everything about Whittington's – from the off-road location of its mooring spot on the Reading waterfront to its ad-hoc opening hours. With positive customer reviews and mouthwatering photos of the barge's afternoon tea selection, online browsers could see the allure of Whittington's with a couple of clicks – just enough to whet their appetite to pop in for a visit.
Local Results
Local results appear for people who search for businesses and places near their location. They're shown in a number of places across Maps and Search. For example, you'll probably see local results if you search for "Italian restaurant" from your mobile device. Google will try to show you the kind of nearby restaurant that you'd like to visit.
Learn moreResults
While a pin on Google Maps has helped usher customers through the barge door, there's more to Whittington's profile than accurate signage. With each review, Andrew and Lesley can respond and connect to previous customers, giving the business a human face. Both online and on-board, a friendly dialogue between the owners and customers strengthens the community feel of this thriving British tearoom, and keeps loyal customers returning.