Google Chrome

It's risky business getting into the argument about which Internet browser is the best to use. You'll always have die-hard fans of each browser as well as the crew that don't really care so long as they have an Internet connection. I have to admit, though, that in the Bloomtools office, Chrome is one of the kings and that's probably how it'll stay.

Google Chrome supports industry standard for the Internet, which is not the case for all browsers. As a result, people using Chrome will have fewer errors when visiting webpages that have been built to industry standards and the connection will seem a lot faster. Chrome also updates itself regularly which means your browser will not become outdated. In fact, Chrome is actually taking over the dropping popularity of the often buggy Internet Explorer.

When our software developers make changes to thewebconsole (Bloomtools Clients websites backend), we do so with the most recent Google Chrome updates in mind, which means our clients using Chrome will have a much better experience using thewebconsole than those on Explorer or Safari.

Google Chrome is available as a free download for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Google My Business

If you want people to find you online, you have to provide Google with information about your business. Use Google My Business to add your business details to Search and Maps. Signing up to this simple service allows people to find you no matter what device they're using, and offers searchers the right information at the right time whether that's your location, directions to your business and your opening hours. This is a free tools and so valuable for businesses. If you have not done this yet, before you do anything else after reading this article - do this immediately!

Google Alerts

Are you aware of what people are saying about your business, you or your brand on the Internet? Are you all over what your competitors are doing? Are you abreast of the changes in your industry? If not, Google Alerts will be a great tool for you.

Essentially, the tool works by having you tell it what search terms you're interested in. For example, you may be a property developer in Brisbane who wants to keep up to date with the local industry. You tell Google Alerts to send you new information regarding "Commercial Property Development Brisbane" and at the schedule you set, Google Alerts will send you an email with links to all the new Internet content relevant to those search terms.
At the very least, we strongly suggest that you set up a Google Alert for your company name which will include all your brands and key personnel to monitor mentions about you on the Internet.

Start using Google Alerts today.

Google AdWords

Attract traffic to your website by Marketing your business on Google and its advertising networks. With AdWords, you have the freedom to write your own content, including the keywords that are most useful to your business, and only pay for your ad if people click on it. Considering that a staggering 93% of all internet experiences begin with search engines, this is a great opportunity to be found by the right people at the right time.
When people search for your keywords on Google, your ad might appear next to the results, allowing you to advertise directly to customers who are already looking for your product or services. AdWords also offers the flexibility to pause adverts if you're under financial pressure or increase your spend if you have new services to promote. Everything is measured, and the ROI can be very profitable to your business.

You can do this yourself, or use our experienced team to do it for you.

G Suite (formerly Google Apps)

Improve your working processes and streamline day-to-day tasks with the help of G Suite for Business. From professional email to shared calendars and online storage, there are numerous apps that can sort out your business needs. Take advantage of cloud-based apps that allow you to access important information from all your devices and rest assured that high-quality security and controls will keep your data safe. And even better, it is a lot lower cost to your business than the Microsoft Office options.

Let us know if you would like us to set this up for you.

Google Analytics

Gain invaluable insights into the ways users behave on your website with Google Analytics. Setting up Google Analytics on your website is simple and lets you access a wealth of information about customer behaviour. The analytics package allows you to find out where your visitors are coming from, how long they spend on any one page and where the most conversions are happening. Armed with these stats, you can refine your website to improve your overall results. If you are already a Bloomtools client, we would have already set this up for you.

Google+

Grow and engage your audience and take advantage of new ways to connect by creating a Brand page on Google+. Create Communities and Hangouts free live video conferences to communicate with customers and reach out to other thought leaders in your industry. This is Googles own social media, and essential for all businesses to have a presence on.

Google+ business pages often appear in standard search results, as do Google+ reviews, so encourage happy customers to leave positive reviews on your page and you'll have a greater chance of potential buyers seeing them.