Google recently launched a pilot program named Project Beacon. As part of their program, Google sends free beacons to businesses with physical locations to make their venues more visible to their customers with mobile devices while they’re within your area.

Google Beacons are small, Bluetooth devices that transmit one-way data from smartphones within the immediate proximity of the beacon’s signal. If you use Google’s advertising services for your business and have enabled location extensions, you may have already received a Google beacon. If not, you can request one for free.

Because Google Beacons help determine a user’s exact location, as opposed to relying on other, less accurate location signals, it is incredibly beneficial to your business when it is located within a shopping center, mall, or other location with numerous businesses situated very close to each other.

Google Beacons help your business show up on maps or saved locations when users have opted into sharing Location History. Beacons also gather reviews, photos, or other user-generated content from people who have  visited your business. It also provides customers with information about popular or busier times of day at your location to help customers plan their visit and gives you location insights to show you how customers engage in your store.

With a well-planned Google beacon infrastructure, there are lots of really cool things you can implement. For example, the moment a customer walks through your door, they can receive a notification with your specials, a guide to your office, or a coupon for that specific day.

The possibilities are unlimited depending on the time and effort you’re willing to invest in the technology.