On Wednesday, Apple announced an expanded series of tools that will enable businesses to enhance their visibility on Apple’s platforms through its free service, Apple Business Connect. Launched last year, the online portal allows businesses to manage their presence across Apple’s 1.5 billion devices in areas like Maps, Siri, Spotlight search, Safari, and Wallet.
Expanded Features and Increased Accessibility
The newly expanded features will allow business owners to integrate their branding into other Apple products, including Mail, Tap to Pay on iPhone, and the Apple Phone app. Moreover, Business Connect will now be available to all types of businesses, not just those with a physical location, according to Apple.
Business Connect evolved from a simpler system that allowed businesses to manage their listings on Apple Maps, called Apple Business Register. Since the arrival of Business Connect in early 2023, ‘millions’ of places around the world have begun to use the service to customize how their business appears to consumers. This involves the use of place cards, cover photos, logos, business photos, limited-time promotions and incentives known as ‘Showcases,’ and action buttons for things like ‘order pickup,’ or ‘view menu,’ for example.
Insights and Analytics
Businesses can also tap into insights to find out more about how consumers are interacting with their business, including how users came to find the business and what actions they take once on the business’s place card. With today’s expansion, Apple will make it possible for any type of business to establish a profile on the system, including businesses that provide services, operate from a home, or businesses that are fully online without a physical location.
Branded Mail and Enhanced Customer Experience
Later this year, this information will also be used to customize how business emails will display in Apple’s Mail app. Instead of the boring gray logo that appears today, the email can display the brand’s name and logo in the inbox. And, when clicking into an email, the brand will have an even larger presence with a colorful header at the top of the screen derived from the brand’s logo, in addition to the business’s name and logo.
This Branded Mail feature arrives alongside the newly redesigned Mail app for iOS 18, which now categorizes email and groups mail by sender. Similar to Gmail, iOS 18 will sort email into tabs, like Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. Apple says it won’t rely on whether a business has set up its brand through Business Connect to determine where the mail gets sorted, however.
Tap to Pay and Enhanced Customer Experience
Moreover, with the expansion of Business Connect features, businesses will also be able to integrate their branding into Tap to Pay on iPhone. This feature allows customers to make payments using their iPhone, providing a seamless experience for both parties.
Increased Accessibility and Ease of Use
The expanded features and increased accessibility of Business Connect aim to make it easier for businesses to manage their presence across Apple’s platforms. With the new features, business owners will be able to enhance their visibility, engage with customers, and increase sales without needing extensive technical knowledge or expertise.
Conclusion
Apple’s expansion of Business Connect features is a significant step forward in enabling businesses to increase their visibility on Apple’s platforms. By providing a free service that allows businesses to manage their presence across 1.5 billion devices, Apple aims to make it easier for businesses to succeed and thrive in today’s competitive market.