| 1. Get started online. | Google My Business [Free] | The most important step in going online is to make your business discoverable by your customers. Google My Business provides SMEs with a free listing and simple website that will help them show up on Google searches and drive traffic to their stores.
In Singapore, 88% of consumers used a store locator to find a business, and look to the Internet to find a place to dine at or to purchase a particular product. |
| 2. Offer a great mobile experience. | Test My Site [Free] | Not having a mobile-optimised site is like shutting the shop front door to customers, just because of the device they’re using.
According to recent research, 50% of people expect a site to load in less than two seconds. In Singapore, the average site takes 9.32s to load on mobile, which puts Singapore behind the rest of Asia Pacific at 8.48s.
How fast is your site? Use testmysite.thinkwithgoogle.com to find out. It’s a free, online tool that provides businesses with a detailed report and specific steps on how to make websites faster. |
| 3. Stay on top of trends. | Google Trends [Free] | How do you know what content to create? Whether it’s a video, blog, or even deciding what information to include on your site? The answer is: you need to know what’s popular.
Trends.google.com lets you see what people are searching for in Singapore and worldwide, which can help you understand the popularity of different topics and products. Use the tool to spot emerging trends or even identify new product lines to create or invest in. |
| 4. Broadcast your business. | YouTube [Free] | Three out of five users in Singapore find YouTube useful to search for products and 41% are influenced by YouTube on which brand to buy.
Anyone can upload a video on YouTube for free and SMEs can use YouTube to offer helpful tutorials to engage and find new customers. . Many businesses also promote their videos via paid ads.
|
| 5. Find potential customers looking for what you offer. | AdWords | After a business has established an online presence, many will want to promote it. Paid ads can help businesses reach potential customers worldwide when people search, watch videos, and browse online content relevant to their business.
With no minimum spend required, AdWords is a flexible tool allowing advertisers to pay only when users click on their ads — giving assurance that every dollar spent leads to a measurable result. |
| 6. Promote goods to customers looking for what you sell. | Shopping Ads | Google’s Shopping Ads are image-based ads that help shoppers find the products they’re searching for and quickly connect with the merchants who sell those products.
Small businesses that don’t have an e-commerce platform on their website can partner with online retailers to list their products for them. |
| 7. Identify new markets for expansion. | Global Market Finder [Free] | Global Market Finder (goglobal.withgoogle.com/global-market-finderr) helps businesses find where people are interested in their products worldwide. The tool analyses data from Google Search, Translate and AdWords to help SMEs compare the cost of acquiring a new customer and helps them to determine if exporting to a new market is a good idea for their business.
|
| 8. Measure your online marketing. | Google Analytics [Free] | Website, app and marketing activities can be measured only if the right analytics are in place. Free tools like Google Analytics can help show: Which parts of your site are the most popularWhere you lose customersHow much online ads contribute to sales, revenues, signups, and website traffic.For users in English, we now offer an “Ask A Question” feature, where you can ask (or type) Google Analytics a question. |
| 9. Groom digital leaders within your company. | Squared Online for SMEs [Up to 90% subsidy] | For businesses looking to grow online, training leaders within the firm to oversee digital strategy is essential for long-term growth.
Squared Online for SMEs (asia.wearesquared.com/SME) is a training programme developed by Google and AVADO covering topics across social media strategy, digital advertising and data analytics.
With support from SPRING Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, SME-sponsored trainees may claim up to 90% of the course fees on successful completion of the course. |
| 10. Sign up for export masterclasses | Go Global Export Masterclasses [Free] | Small businesses looking to expand their footprint overseas can sign up for free export masterclasses led by Google and its partner agencies at goglobal.withgoogle.com.
Tailored for various industries from logistics, to retail to manufacturing, these full-day sessions provide practical tips for businesses looking to bring their products and services overseas.
|
