By Kim Spalding, global product director, Small & Medium Business Ads

As a fourth-generation family-run bakery focused on giving their customers the highest quality baked goods, O&H Danish Bakery is a staple in Wisconsin. With delicious Kringles and hundreds of other scratch-made sweets on display, retail has long been their bread and butter. But now, thanks to the use of online marketing, O&H Danish Bakery has been able to reach customers who live all across the country. By giving people the opportunity to place orders through their website and get desserts delivered right to their door, O&H is bringing Danish baking into more homes.  

In 2018, Google’s free online tools helped create $335 billion in economic activity for millions of businesses, website publishers, and nonprofits across the United States. These tools make it easier for small business owners to find and connect with customers and run their businesses. In Wisconsin, where O + H Bakery is located, Google has helped to generate $4.46 billion in economic activity. Here are six easy and free ways for your business to grow online.

Get a customized online business plan. By answering a few questions about your business and selecting a goal, Google for Small Business will produce a step-by-step, personalized plan of recommended products to help you stand out online, reach more customers, and work more efficiently. The recommendations will include products to help with all three, but with a special focus on the goal that’s most important to you.

Get found on Google and post your latest news. Nearly one third of all mobile searches are related to a geographic location, and that trend is only increasing, so it’s critical to have your business appear in results for local searches. This is managed through the Google My Business product. Posting through Google My Business now lets you publish your events, products, and services directly to your listing on Google Search and Maps. By creating posts, you can place your timely content in front of customers when they find your business listing on Google. 

Find new customers abroad. Google’s easy-to-use tool, Market Finder, can recommend the best market for your business, and gives you all the insights you need to research your next global market. Once you’ve decided on your next market, Google helps with tools, guides, and resources to help you navigate areas like localization, international payments, and logistics.

Encourage your customers to leave reviews. Online reviews are today’s word of mouth. You can turn your best customers into advocates with free marketing materials from our Google My Business Marketing Kit , where you can print and share your favorite reviews as custom posters and social images.

Learn how your website is performing. Google Analytics helps you see what’s working and fix what’s not on your website. Understanding your website visitors helps you better evaluate the performance of your content, products, and more. Google also has a free Analytics Academy that helps you learn about Google's measurement tools so that you can grow your business through intelligent data collection and analysis. 

Attend a Grow with Google workshop. If you want hands-on help and learning opportunities, we have partnered with thousands of organizations across the country who offer free help and workshops through our Grow with Google small program. You can find resources and a workshop near you at grow.google.

Over the past 20 years, the web has transformed how businesses connect with customers, but Google has been here to help. With free and easy tools, any type of business can reach the right customers and succeed.

ABOUT KIM SPALDING

Global Product Director, SMB Ads Kim leads product management for the SMB and Emerging Market Advertising at Google.  She was formerly the COO of HomeJoy, a home services startup.  Prior to that, she was the vice president of Operations and vice president of Global Coffee Category for Starbucks.   She received her MBA from The Wharton School of Management at University of Pennsylvania and her bachelor’s from Austin College.  From 2002 to 2011, Kim co-founded Seia Wine Cellars, a Seattle winery known for their award-winning Washington Syrah.  She also served on the Board of Directors for City Year Seattle, an education-focused non-profit.