Google+ Pages are Here!
Google+ pages has launched. This article from Search Engine Land will give you a quick overview of the set up. They’re a lot like Facebook pages, but I think the “Hangouts” feature is very attractive, especially for service-oriented businesses like mine. I can envision using that for tutorials or training sessions – lots of possibilities.
It was very easy to set the page up. If you have a Places page your info will come up when you click the “Create a Google+ Page” link. Take the time to create a nice profile icon, and be sure to upload some photos. I created a “Samples of Our Work” album to share our portfolio. I like the way the photos look – very nice presentation for a portfolio. Don’t forget to create a badge to add to your website.
Be sure to click “Edit Profile” from your main profile page and add some photos to your scrapbook album so the bar at the top of the profile page is filled (it takes 5 photos). Ours looks like this after completing that step:
You can switch between your personal G+ and business page with the little dropdown by your profile icon. Have fun and experiment with it! It’ll be interesting to see how businesses use these pages and some of the new features that are available. If you’d like to follow our page for web and graphic design tips, it’s here.
I’ve been a designer for 20 years. I started in the days of waxers and transfer letters, transitioned to the computer in the late eighties, and tackled web design in the early nineties. I’ve tried to keep up with all of the software and technologies of the trade, from HTML to CSS and JS, Pagemaker to InDesign. I’ve worked in both worlds–freelance and corporate, finding that they both have their upsides and drawbacks. It’s a challenge to stay current, but it’s my passion and the perfect profession for someone who never wants to be bored! I hope that I have something valuable to offer other designers.