Google Plus Pages

Google Plus Pages

With Google+ Pages you can have real conversations with the people interested in your business. You can direct them to your Google+ Page with a Badge that you can add to your site (more on that below). You can also extend the power of +1 to stand out in Google search results.

With Google Plus For Business you can easily share breaking news, updates, promotions and more with the different people interested in your business. You can also promote your business, products and/or services with the +1 service all across the Web.

Google+ even allow you to measure how your page is doing, and learn more on how your followers’ interactions affect your business and brand. Google+ also offers ways to improve the page.

Google Plus For Business: How To Create a Page

Creating a Google+ Page only a few minutes. Before you can create a Google+ Page, you must create a Google+ Profile (if you don’t already have one).

Estimated Time: 3-5 minutes

Step 1 – Creating a Google Account

If you don’t have a Google Account, you can create one here. This will give you access to several Google services, incluing Gmail, Google Docs, and of course Google+… After creating a Google Account, log into Gmail and click the ‘You+’ link at the top left of your Gmail dashboard.

Step 2 – Creating a Google+ Profile

As mentioned above, before you can create a Google+ Page for your business, you must create a Google+ Profile (if you don’t already have one). If you don’t have a Google+ Profile yet, the ‘You+’ link on your Gmail dashboard will direct you to the Profile creation page:

Enter your first and last name, or the name of your business, and click the ‘Add your photo’ linkt to add the logo of your business. Click ‘Join’ once done. You will then be offered the option to follow public figures. You can either choose to follow people, or skip this step and choose to follow people later.

Step 3 – Creating a Google+ Business Page

You will then be offered to create a Google Plus Page For Business. If you can’t find how to, click this link:Google+ For Business. You will be directed to a page that allows you to create a Google+ Page dedicated to your business, much like a Facebook Fan Page.

You are then asked to pick a category:

- Local Business or Place
- Product or Brand
- Company, Institution or Organisation
- Arts, Entertainment or Sports
- Other

Then you are asked to add your information. Enter a Page Name, paste your Website URL, and choose who you want to be able to see the page. Most of you will choose: Any Google+ users. Make sure you read the Pages terms and tick the box before hitting the ‘Join’ button.

You can then customise your page’s public profile by choosing a tag line, and add your business logo if not already done. Then click the ‘Continue’ button to proceed with the page creation.

That’s it! Your Google+ Page should now be ready… Google Plus For Business suggests you a series of actions that you can take now or later to finalize your pages, like starting a conversation, connecting your website, and tell the word about your newly created page.

New about Ubuntu 12.04

The 12.04 ‘Precise Pangolin’ release of Ubuntu Linux will allow users to abandon conventional application menus in favour of a “HUD” command line from which commands can be summoned simply by typing them.

For decades graphical user interfaces have depended on anchoring functions in software using menus that vary from GUI to GUI and application to application; keyboard shortcuts are just as diverse.

A blog post by Canonical founder and former CEO Mark Shuttleworth takes the wraps off the new design in which users type the function they wish to access into a global ‘heads-up display’ command bar.

This searches through Unity-based apps, returning possible matches (including fuzzy ones) as might a search engine. This can adapt to the commands (including eventually voice commands) most are often entered by the user.

“Searching is fast and familiar, especially once we integrate voice recognition, gesture and touch. We want to make it easy to talk to any application, and for any application to respond to your voice,” said Shuttleworth.

“When you’ve been using it for a little while it seems like it’s reading your mind, in a good way.”

The level of application control offered by the new HUD, or as Shuttleworth calls it the “express your intent” interface, is potentially very powerful. An example offered is of a user who can change his or her status on IM or Skype without having to enter and leave an application to do so, avoiding the need to interrupt the flow of work.  

This suggests an ‘unlearning curve’ where users have to abandon application menus that have become second nature for Ubuntu’s HUD. It could work better for keyboard-driven users rather than those who have taught themselves to generalise their relationship to applications through mouse control and feature hunting.

“Instead of cluttering up the interface ALL the time, let’s clear out the chrome, and show users just what they want, when they want it.”

The new HUD will be enabled in April's 12.04, one of the twice-yearly releases offered with long-term support, with voice-driven commands promised for future releases. Menus won’t disappear for those who prefer them in 12.04 although it is clear where the long-term direction of the controversial Unity interface is heading.

New Google+ search

Google just beefed up the search capabilities on Google+ to allow users to start conversations directly from search results. The change makes it easier for Plusers to join or start discussions on specific topics.

For example, if you were to search for “coffee” and then decided to make a post about how the line at your local Starbucks is always crazy long, then you could do it then and there, without clicking off, via a share box on the search results page.

In addition, the site will automatically attach your search term to the post, so if someone else searches for coffee they’ll be able to see your epic lineup rant. Anyone who can see the post can also click on the term to search for it, see the active discussion, and join in immediately from the results page. You can see how it all looks in the screenshot below.

Google+ started out with surprisingly weak search ability. While it provided a way to find topics, called Sparks, it was simply a way to see news from mainstream sources and not a way to see original works on Google+ about that topic. Google eventually introduced a proper search tool for the service in September.

Google+ has also been the centerpiece for Google’s recent big move to integrate social-media posts and links into its core search tool. Called “Search plus Your World,” the new way of presenting results has generated some controversy, with some users finding the prominence of the social links intrusive and other social networks like Twitter complaining about their omission from the tool.