Google recently announced the redesign of their Small Business Network website to provide additional capabilities in a comprehensive Small Business Toolkit. Although the individual components of the Small Business Toolkit were previously available from Google as part of other services, the packaging and small business orientation makes this a useful resource for businesses.
The following capabilities are included in the Google Small Business Toolkit covered in this announcement:
- Google's Local Business Center - offers free Internet business listings for local search and tools to track activity. See the Can buyers easily find your local business online? article for more information on local listing and search services from Google and others.
- Google Apps - this is a combination of the free online Google Docs which provides word processing, spreadsheet, presentations and forms functionality, with a collection of templates for business documents such as invoices, business plans, project plans, budgeting, legal forms, etc.
- Google Maps - for creating custom maps featuring your business which can be included in the public Google Maps search service to help people find your business.
- Google Maps with Real-time Traffic - to plot more efficient delivery routes for your business.
- Adwords - complete details about advertising your business on the Internet using Google's Adwords search advertising service.
- Google Analytics - for website traffic and data analysis that provides insights into website traffic patterns and marketing effectiveness.
- Google Website Optimizer - is a tool for testing different variations of a website's content to find out which combination results in the highest number of conversions.
- Small Business Network - for receiving updates, taking action and discussing public policy issues that affect your business.
The Small Business Toolkit provides complete documentation, online help and instructional videos for using the various applications.
How to use this information to benefit your business
- Except for Adwords, these are all free applications and services to support small businesses.
- The Analytics and Website Optimizer tools are essential for improving your website and Internet marketing effectiveness.
- The video tutorials and detailed a documentation are a good resource for just learning more about some of these topics.
- These are powerful tools and within easy reach for use by small businesses.
- A more extensive collection of tools and services are available from Google Business Solutions.
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