Bizsuccess

Monday, November 17, 2008

By: Susan Gunelius

Google is not only the most popular search engine, but the company also offers a variety of free and low cost online applications that small business owners can use to boost their marketing.  Take a look at the list below for some ideas for how you can use Google’s products to take your marketing to the next level.

1. Google AdWords

If you’re not already running a Google AdWords campaign for your business, it’s definitely worth a try, particularly if the bulk of your business is conducted online.  You can open a Google AdWords account for free then start an online ad campaign for as little as a $25 investment.  With such a low startup cost, Google AdWords gives small businesses the ability to not just advertise online but to test keywords, spending, and more to find the right mix before investing a more significant amount.

2. Google Analytics

You can create your own Google Analytics account for free and use the powerful tools available to you to track the performance of your website.  Learn what pages are performing well, where visitors are coming from, and more.  The information provided by Google Analytics can help you make a wide variety of critical business and marketing decisions to give your website a boost.

3. Google Docs

If you need to be able to create sales presentations, documents and spreadsheets on the road (or you need to be able to collaborate on those documents with other people – either locally or across the globe), then Google Docs is a great choice to keep your business and marketing moving no matter where you or your colleagues or customers are.  Google Docs provides presentation, word processing and spreadsheet programs that you can use from any computer, anywhere.  You can also securely share your documents with other people.

4. Gmail

Gmail is a great email option for small business owners who need to be able to access their email from their home and work computers (or from any computer, for that matter).  Recently, Google added Gmail Voice and Video Chat functionality to Gmail allowing users to speak to each other directly through voice or video.  Imagine the possibilities for sales and marketing calls with clients or customers!

5. Google Talk

Google’s answer to instant messaging is Google Talk which allows users to make voice calls for free online.

Other Google applications small business owners might want to try include Google Calendar, which allows you to manage your calendar from any computer at anytime.  Google Apps is also a great bundled product which gives users access to a wide variety of Google applications for messaging, collaboration and security for as little as $50 per user, per year.