As small business owners, we have challenges everyday including cash flow, staffing and managing our online brands with our website. Many of us are tired of snake-oil salespeople promising to get us to the front page of Google or paying for AdWords or Facebook ad campaigns that don’t that deliver. We need easy tools to help us promote our businesses, and Google has provided a new resource to help. Now keep in mind that Google wants to sell you ads, but these Google tools also offer helpful advice for your small business.
Introducing Google Tools for Small Business Owners
The internet has created new opportunities for small businesses, but it can be hard to know where to start. Most of our issues come down to saving time and money. To that end, Google has launched Google for Small Business, a suite of Google tools to help your business (including the benefit of helping you transition your Gmail email account into a professional email—i.e. you@yourwebsite.com). This is a new ‘Grow with Google’ initiative to help small businesses find the right Google tools to reach business goals. The website is quite easy to use. You just enter your business name, answer a few questions about your business, and select a goal.
- It’s Provides Personalized Plans: Then you’ll receive a step-by-step plan of recommended products tailored for you. Google’s services are divided into three areas how to reach more customers with online advertising, create a professional presence with the right Google tools, (G-Suite Tools), and engage more customers with video (Get a free YouTube Channel). The recommendations will include products to help with all three, but with a special focus on the goal that’s most important to you.
Kim Spalding, Global Product Director, Google Small Business Ads, is a former small business owner herself. She joined the internet giant two-years ago and her team launched this new tool. Spalding explains her goal, “The internet has created new opportunities for small businesses, but it can be hard to know where to start; we just want to help business owners get there faster.” This new site also provides information on FREE live workshops happening near you for hands-on help, and you can stay updated on Google tools and services for small businesses as they continue to roll out.
With Google, it’s never been easier to create an online ad, but before diving in, focus on these three things: a) you must know which product you’d like to promote; b) Have a budget in mind to spend; c) Set you goal for what success will look like. The Google tools will give you suggestions, but keep in mind that Google is trying to make money.
Get started at google.com/smallbusiness to figure out if Google AdWords, the G-suite or YouTube is what you need to grow your business.