The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted a workshop in partnership with Google to assist Chamber members’ efforts to strengthen their online presence and reach among potential customers.

The event, held at Dubai Chamber’s premises, was the first in a series of workshops aimed at familiarizing companies with the Google My Business (GMB) solution, and helping them strengthen their digital presence.

The workshop provided businesses with an overview of value-added features and benefits offered by GMB, which enable them to manage business information on Google Search and Google Maps, interact with customers, post photos, and display working hours.

Khalil Haddad, Director Strategy and Corporate Development, Dubai Chamber, stressed the importance of organizing and hosting such workshops as they provide Chamber members with the right knowledge and tools they need to grow and boost their competitive edge.

“These workshops fall in line with Dubai Chamber’s strategy to promote smarter business practices locally, and improve ease of doing business in Dubai. Google is an ideal partner for this important initiative with its vast experience and specialized tools that can bring companies up to speed on new technologies and help them maximize their online potential. As the internet is the first point of contact for most consumers in the UAE, it is crucial that businesses invest their time and resources into building and strengthening their online presence and reputation,” Mr Haddad added.

Dubai Chamber members who registered for the workshop will access benefits such as the ability to verify their businesses immediately on GMB, and receive support from Google’s call centre. The first members to verify will also get the chance to participate in a series of digital marketing training sessions.

In addition, verified members are provided with free access to the GMB dashboard where they can get valuable insights on how customers use Google Search and Google Maps to find their listings.

“We are committed to helping small businesses succeed online, stand out on Google and acquire new customers through tools like GMB, which will help Dubai’s businesses own and grow their presence online by giving customers up-to-date information about their organizations. We are excited to have partnered with Dubai Chamber to help members get the best of GMB through an interactive workshop during which business owners were trained on how to leverage the tools available to them to grow and solidify their digital presence,” added Adam Kwasniewski, Small and Medium Business Marketing Manager at Google MENA.

Earlier this year, Google and Dubai Chamber announced a long-term partnership to help businesses across Dubai get online. The agreement includes a pilot programme that extends for three to four months, while both partners will collaborate on future digital training sessions designed to help businesses better understand the value of using online channels to grow and acquire new customers.