You read about it here first: Google may have just created the next social media channel that may drive business for residential integrators.
Google Helpouts puts consumers instantly face-to-face with someone who can help, through a new service that marries the video of Hangouts with the payment processing of Google Wallet, the identity management of Google+, and other Google service features
When YouTube tutorials or vendor videos just won’t do, when the need calls for a face-to-face, Helpouts brings an expert service with the push of a button. The expert can offer suggestions, watch how you’re doing, and take you through your project step-by-step.
These experts can also choose to charge for their time. The consumer checks out using Google Wallet (kiss 20% good-bye in commission fees). Your clients can also rate you and leave reviews when the Helpout is over.
Google Helpouts will launch soon in the UK, Ireland, USA and Canada. It will start with hand-picked experts in a small number of categories (home improvement, beauty, and fashion, etc.) and grow organically from there.
That organic growth may be accelerated by the fact Helpouts will launch as a HIPAA-compliant and secure product for health care professionals, from therapists and psychiatrists to surgeons and pediatricians. If personal health drives traffic to this new service/social media, then users will also turn to it for more need.
We’re betting Helpouts may also benefit from excellent results on Google Search, but it doesn’t take an algorithm to make that a good guess.
Those residential integrators that reach out and get in early may find it a big advantage to be established as experts. Money for these consulting sessions aside, it may prove to be the way serious customers identify the professional suppliers they really hope for.
Google Helpouts is its own separate division within Google drawing on all Google technologies.
