Small Business Finance News
SMBs Can Become A Google And Consumer Favorite Place
Written by Jenna Weiner
Published: 12/7/2009
Google's latest innovation could bolster consumers' confidence in SMBs.
With increased social media spending forecasts for 2010 in the news, for small business owners, Google's latest innovation may show how internet presence can pay off. Google has launched a "Favorite Places" program that could benefit top-searched SMBs.
The program counts how many times people search for a business and qualifying SMBs receive a "We're a favorite place on Google" decal with a unique bar code for their stores. Potential customers can scan the bar code with a smart phone to bring up a businesses' page to learn more about the store.
Additionally, CNET reports that scanning the decal's barcode will give customers access to unique promotional offers. Google will put participating SMBs' coupons on their Local Business Center pages that smart phone users can redeem via their cell phone device.
Interested SMB owners can sign up on Google's Local Business Center for the chance to earn a decal. It remains to be seen whether consumers will be interested in this type of information, but it does stand the chance to bolster consumer confidence in unfamiliar SMBs.
SMB owners may be well advised to participate in the Google Favorite Place program and any other programs that could draw consumer spending in the coming weeks. According to America's Research Group, this holiday season is predicted to have significantly lower sales than 2008.
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