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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

David Lammy welcomed Google to the borough and applauded their initiative to help small businesses

 

The Google mother-ship landed at CONEL this morning for an event to help small businesses in Haringey use digital tools.

David Lammy kicked off proceedings with a warm welcome to Google. He applauded the company's "Getting British Business Online" initiative and welcomed the support they were offering to local businesses in Haringey.

According to Google, SMEs with a high web presence grow four times faster than those without. So getting the web right can very literally mean the difference between success and failure for small businesses.

To get us all headed in the right direction, the Google team addressed key areas for small businesses to focus on. 

They began with websites and offered ten top Google tips for building successful websites. One of the tips stressed the importance of photographs and images being of high quality. (If your website's images aren't up to scratch and you're interested in moving things up a notch with some original photography, let me know. I may be able to help. )

Other key issues covered included search engine optimisation, the use of social media and getting to grips with targeting your online audience.

(I was the very soul of discretion and kept absolutely mum about how effective small businesses find HoL as a tool to increase awareness of what they do!)

All the small businesses that attended seemed to find the morning very useful. Emma, one of the may attendees who'd learned about the event through HoL told me. "I thought I understood how to use Keywords, but this made me realise how little I knew. It was a really useful morning." 

Whilst there are no immediate plans to run a further event, Google will publicise any new dates through David Lammy's office - and they, no doubt, will post on Google.

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No, Mr Carter, as you are aware I don't admire management speak as I've explained elsewhere, and I'm not in the least interested in reopening that discussion here.

Since you were there Hugh, I thought you might have been able to add to my sketch of the dubious figures thrown out, such at the UK was the world's biggest online economy.

Where you not surprised at the claim? Bigger than the US or China? Did you not think, as I did, that the Mother Ship was engaging in advertising blandishment?

.

I'm not sure they said biggest, I think they were talking in terms of the %ge of the economy that's online. 

I was curious about the claim that the UK is the world's biggest online economy. Seems it might be true - at least according to one set of figures... 

UK is the ‘most internet-based major economy’

Interesting.

Don't doubt that web based commerce is big, including the UK.

Google is a for-profit corporation, in the business of selling advertising and there's probably no country in the world to which they wouldn't want to sell this message.

I also understand that the Boston Consulting Group was paid by Google to do research for them, including about Adwords.

I reckon the headline statement or conclusion depends on how you define internet economy, what you're measuring, total or relative size, population of the country and so on. As you say, its one set of figures.

Here's another set, also with Boston Consulting and Google citing Egypt.

(BTW, found with a certain search engine. Isn't Google great ?!)

There's surely little doubt that internet commerce will grow as a whole; there is some doubt whether Adwords are likely to be a good investment.

.

The figures in the BBC article limits it to 'major G20 countries'. I've no idea what the criteria was for being 'major' -  (being G20 definitely counts out Egypt though) - so yes, as you've pointed out - there's *plenty* of room for cutting stats like that up in whatever ways the potential markets require.

The automated invite/reminder directed people to Nowhere near CoNEL

The sweet irony of it was hinted at to the presenter :)

Mr Google told us with Adwords, we must target specifically.

Here's my ideal scenario for effective profitable use of Adwords (and by extension, how difficult or wasteful it may be for the average Joe):

Unknown to most of the world, there is a big unmet demand for frying pans with built-in transistor radios – let's also make them small and vibrating with paisley handles. (Apologies to The Simpsons; I believe my additions represent inventive steps).  I have an exclusive licence for this unique concept and a warehouse of container-loads of them from China.

In order to target this market, I successfully bid in a Google Adword auction for the following keywords:

  • small
  • radio
  • paisley
  • vibrating
  • frying-pan

When the population suddenly realizes what they've been missing, and start searching for this life-changing gadget, I tap into the pent-up demand, corner the market and make a fortune.

How closely would this scenario match the average business?

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Hi Hugh

Unfortunately, yesterday I had a few clients and the meeting was missed. Did they say anything more about future events?

and a propos "a good quality picture" what is the proper size for them?

Any particular figures?

Call me, Marek.

Hugh, on re-reading your sometimes gushing and otherwise good account of the event, there's no recognition that Google is no charity.

The Google mother-ship landed at CONEL this morning for an event to help small businesses in Haringey use digital tools. David Lammy kicked off proceedings ...

Does this not read like advertising copy?!

Earlier we were told (since deleted) that fifty businesses attended.

Most of us – including me – find Google's search engine so useful, that we forget that this listed enterprise is a hugely profitable advertising agency.

No matter how Google dresses it, the event was a *sales pitch*, couched in such sophisticated language that one would almost feel privileged to bid cash money an auction for Adwords ... that may be worth less than you pay. Apparently, Adwords is worthwhile ... for just 18% of punters.

I thought your own question to the presenter (about those percentages) was right on the money.

The promoter's polished pitch concentrated on the how, and not at all on the, how much? Google's motto is Do No Evil.

There is another side to this corporation that is gathering data on many of us, much of the time:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/04/29/hawktalk_google_eu_authorit...


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