Google’s “Get Your Business Online” Workshop Offered by JCLS

Jackson County Library Services (JCLS) offers free workshops to support small businesses and nonprofits with technical assistance and business development. The Grow with Google: Get Your Business Online workshop helps small businesses bridge the divide between customers and their business. It will take place Friday, May 15 from 12 noon–1:30 p.m. at the Medford Library, 205 South Central Avenue.

“When customers are shopping for goods or services, they are most often searching for information on their smartphones,” said Elanna Erhardt, Business Librarian at JCLS. “With 81% of Americans owning and using smartphones on a regular basis, it’s critical that every business—but especially small businesses—be searchable, with current information on Google.”

JCLS offers this workshop in partnership with Google’s Get Your Business Online (GYBO) initiative, which aims to stimulate economic growth by helping small local businesses access online training and grow the visibility of their businesses with mobile-friendly websites. With support, small businesses can get online, grow faster, and create more jobs.

A study for Understanding Consumers’ Local Search Behavior that Google conducted in partnership with Ipsos MediaCT and Purchased also helps illuminate the need to have an updated online presence. In the United States, “50% of customers who conducted a local search on their smartphone visited a store within a day, and 34% who searched on a computer/tablet did the same.” What are people searching for when googling businesses near them? Most frequently, they are looking for business hours (54%), then directions (53%), and local store addresses (50%).

Workshop attendees will learn how to connect with customers on Google Search and Maps using the free Google My Business tool and receive hands-on help creating or updating business profiles during the workshop.

Instructor Corissa Saint Laurent is a Google GYBO Trainer. She helps Google bridge the digital divide by offering free training and resources to small business owners, job seekers, and everyday people looking to enhance their digital skills.

Learn more about business services at Jackson County Library Services, or register for this workshop at jcls.org/research/business or contact Elanna Erhardt at EErhardt@jcls.org or (541) 734-3992.

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