The US Small Business Administration (SBA) and Google have teamed up to provide resources and tools that “help small businesses learn how to succeed online.” Below is a sample video description of the features directly from Google. Be sure to checkout this new resource today at https://www.google.com/help/places/partners/sba/index.html! (via Google)
Establish an online presence: As more and more people get online to find information and local searches grow, an online presence is increasingly important for a small business. For example, Google Places allows you to claim your listing and input specific information about your business.
Utilize free marketing tools to reach your consumer base: Services like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube allow you to communicate with customers and grow your fan base. These tools are great “word-of-mouth” platforms where your customers can tell their friends about your products. Keep customers in-the-loop about new promotions or specials, or exciting events.
Know your customers: Easy-to-use web analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, can help you better understand how your content is being received by customers. This information will help you make more intelligent decisions about what products to feature and what terms your might want to run on to trigger your search engine advertisements.
Stay aware of the latest trends: The recent growing popularity of smart phones has meant that more and more customers search for information on the go. This makes it crucial for your business information to be up-to-date and online. To cater to consumers with smart phones, you can provide driving directions, post digital coupons or link to your menu.
