Google Initiative Sees to Put West Virginia on the Map

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The goal of a small business workshop being held at the Clay Center Wednesday was clear -- getting online and on the map.

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is partnering with Google to help business owners learn new ways to market their products, mainly to help them launch a website and become more visible online.

The initiative is called "Let's Put West Virginia on the Map."

Small business owners from all across the state were getting some one-on-one time with representatives from Google. The representatives showed statistics and visuals about the changes in the way consumers shop, often looking to their mobile devices to find places.

Capito said the program is about bridging the digital and generational gap.

"I know when I go to a city that I'm unfamiliar with, that's the first thing I do. I go to my phone and look for a good place to eat, a great place to shop and so all these businesses are going to be able to capitalize on that," Capito said.
       
Google says businesses that are online are expected to grow twice as fast and hire twice as many workers than those that aren't.