Shropshire businesses urged to check Christmas opening hours on Google
Shoppers may check online before visiting shops, cafés and restaurants over the festive period, but incorrect opening times could mean wasted journeys and lost customers.
Shropshire businesses are being urged to check their online opening hours ahead of Christmas to avoid confusing customers over the festive period.
Many shoppers and diners search Google for details such as “open on Christmas Eve” and “open Boxing Day” before deciding where to go.
But businesses that do not update their listings risk showing their usual weekly opening times, even if they are closed or operating reduced hours.
Will Beavis, a Shropshire digital marketing consultant, said inaccurate information could cost businesses customers.
“If customers visit your premises, they'll check your hours on their phone before they set off,” he said.
“If Google says you're open and you're not, you've wasted their trip and they may not come back. If it says you're closed and you're not, you've lost the sale.”
Google Business Profiles allow businesses to set different opening times for specific dates using a feature called Special hours. These can be entered in advance, with normal weekly hours automatically resuming afterwards.
Dates to check this year include Christmas Eve on Thursday, December 24, Christmas Day on Friday, December 25, the Boxing Day bank holiday on Monday, December 28, and New Year's Day on Friday, January 1.
Businesses should also check their own websites, Facebook pages and online directories, as changes to Google listings will not automatically update other platforms.
Mr Beavis, who runs Sharpstones Media, said: “Opening hours are easy to overlook, and Christmas is when they matter most.”