GOOGLE EVENT PUTS ONLINE PRESENCE IN STORE FOR N.J.’S SMALL BUSINESSES
By Katie Eder/NJBIZ
July 23, 2012
As one of the 150,000 small-business owners in New Jersey missing out on potential customers through a Web presence, Jonathan Gratz has wanted to build a website for his Marlton-based gas products supply store, South Jersey Hearthside, but lacked the staff, resources and time to launch and maintain one.
However, an initiative launched today by New Jersey’s Business Action Center, Google Inc. and Intuit Inc. aims to give small-business owners like Gratz the tools to create a free website and increase their business online.
“There’s a misperception among small-business owners that it’s expensive, difficult and time consuming to launch a website, when it’s actually free and easy,” said John Ploumitsakos, director of small-business engagement and advocacy at Google. “Once a small-business owner puts their company online, they realize they’ve been missing out on additional opportunities for customers. They realize the in-person customer really starts with an online search.”
According to Ploumitsakos, Internet users spend $2,000 on average in a brick-and-mortar store as a result of researching a product or service online, so if the state’s small businesses take advantage of the New Jersey Get Your Business Online initiative, they will see a revenue boost from increased traffic in their stores.