Google is definitely the entrepreneur’s best friend. Most of the local business tools provided by Google are aimed at increasing sales and promoting overall growth. It is a must for any businessman to keep track of all these tools and, most importantly, know what these tools are for and how to make effective use of them.
The top five Google tools to help local businesses are enumerated below:
1. Google Alerts
This tool allows individuals to monitor their business’ online presence with Google updating subscribers through their emails. Basically, the individual specifies comes up with a bunch of terms and every time a term is mentioned, Google Alerts sends an email to the subscriber. Ideally, a person should enter the name of his business along with a few of its rivals.
2. Google AdWords
This has been seen as a magic bullet by some inexperienced entrepreneurs but the effectiveness of Google AdWords is contingent to how optimized and how effective your website is at converting traffic. This tool should complement your organic search traffic but Google AdWords cannot be expected to do the entire job.
3. Google Analytics
What Google Analytics does is to keep track of your website and know which factors influence your site’s conversion. For instance, a ‘request an estimate’ button on your website might not be getting as many hits as you have hoped for. With the help of Google Analytics, you can modify the button, change its position, move its location, or change the overall layout of your website so that can get more hits.
4. Google Docs
This tool is perfect for when you need to share documents with your business partners or to any of your employees. With the help of Google Docs, you can use it for anything from budget proposals to project proposals.
5. Google Places
This is the probably one of the most important tools for anyone with a small business. Having a Google Places listing is tantamount to having a Yellow Pages ad in the pre-internet era. When customers run a search for, let’s say, a local grocery store, the first ones to come out are names of stores which are listed on Google Places. Other than the fact that customers will find it easier to locate the local business, a Google Places account also helps with the business website SEO just as long as the profile stays updated.
Which is your favorite of these Five Google Tools?
Join the discussion by leaving a comment below and please spread the word by sharing this post with your friends.
Stay up to date on our latest posts by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter or by subscribing to our RSS Feed.
