Google will soon let you text companies to communicate with them

Google

Google has been experimenting with click-to-message ads for quite some time now, and it looks like the search giant is finally ready for a broader rollout.

See also: 10 best SMS apps for Android73

Click-to-message ads essentially let you text a company to communicate. For instance, if you are looking to make a reservation at a hotel, you can simply click on the SMS button and ask the hotel if it has a room available. Same goes for making a reservation at a restaurant or inquiring about certain products. When you do, your default SMS app will open up with a pre-written message like “I’m interested in a reservation. Please text me back with more information.”

Now, you may ask, “Why don’t people just call?”

Well, the answer is simple: people prefer texting. It’s a known fact that people – especially millennials – are texting more and talking less. I certainly fall in that category. On average, I make about five calls a month; whereas I send probably more than a thousand text messages. In fact, according to Google, 65 percent of consumers have indicated that they would consider using messaging “to connect with a business to get information about a product or service, or to schedule an in-person appointment.”

The ability to text a business is more convenient in many ways: first, you get to bypass all those annoying options. Your SMS contains everything you want to convey, and that’s that. Ultimately, it saves your time. But also, it’s a written record. Over the phone, it’s hard to keep track of all the information you’re receiving, but on SMS, it’s written on the screen, and it doesn’t disappear.

Your SMS contains everything you want to convey, and that’s that. Ultimately, it saves your time.

If you are a business-owner, setting up click-to-message extensions isn’t too difficult. Assuming that you are already using Google’s advertisement platform AdWords, all you need to do is enter some additional information, and customers will be able to see the SMS icon on Google Search. According to Google, companies who have been using click-to-message ads have seen a significant increase in conversation rate.

With companies like Facebook looking to incorporate a similar strategy, it would be interesting to see how the search giant’s approach pans out. Do you think this is a feature you’d be using in the future? Let us know by leaving a comment below!