Apple has recently announced an expansion of tools for businesses to enhance their visibility on Apple’s platforms through its free service, Apple Business Connect. Launched last year, this online portal allows businesses to manage their presence across Apple’s 1.5 billion devices in various areas such as Maps, Siri, Spotlight search, Safari, and Wallet. The latest update now enables business owners to integrate their branding across 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 physical locations.
The concept of Business Connect originated from a simpler system called Apple Business Register, which allowed businesses to manage their listings on Apple Maps. Since the introduction of Business Connect in early 2023, millions of businesses worldwide have utilized the service to customize how their business appears to consumers. This customization includes features like place cards, cover photos, logos, business photos, limited-time promotions known as “Showcases,” and action buttons for activities like order pickup or viewing the menu.
Businesses can also access insights to understand how consumers are engaging with their business, such as how users discovered the business and their actions on the business’s place card. With the recent expansion, businesses of all types can create a profile on the platform, including service-based businesses, home-based businesses, and online-only businesses without physical locations. Additionally, businesses can now manage their brand’s presence across more Apple apps and features.
Through the dashboard, businesses can input details about their brand, such as name, category, logo, and website, and preview how their place card will appear to consumers. Later this year, this information will extend to customizing how business emails display in Apple’s Mail app, offering a more personalized experience for customers.
Another notable feature is the incorporation of the brand’s icon in the Tap-to-Pay process, providing customers with a visual indication of a trusted and verified business during payments. Furthermore, the integration with the Phone app will identify calls by displaying the business name, logo, and department, aiding consumers in distinguishing unwanted or spam calls.
Apple plans to roll out these features to most businesses worldwide through signing up for Business Connect with an Apple account. Businesses can also manage their location presence at scale through listing management agencies like DAC Group, Rio SEO, SOCi, Uberall, and Yext.
David Dorn, Apple’s senior director of Internet Software and Services Product, expressed excitement about offering all businesses, including those without physical locations, the opportunity to establish a brand presence across Apple’s popular apps. He emphasized that Business Connect is designed to empower businesses to provide accurate information to Apple users and help them reach customers, build trust, and grow their business effectively.
