Google and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry have partnered on a new initiative, “Get Dubai Businesses Online”, which promises to give listed businesses a new mobile-friendly website to help be discovered more easily.
The program will list verified business information, including company opening hours, contact number and location, on Google Search and Google Maps Google’s My Business (GMB) solution. The platform also allows businesses to receive free advertising and receive insights on reviews, views, clicks, calls and those searching for directions to the business’ location.
New and existing members of the Dubai Chamber can list their businesses by visiting the GMB page, or a dedicated booth at the Chamber’s HQ in Deira, where they can also instantly convert their listing into a free mobile-friendly website in English and in Arabic.
Over 79 percent of Google’s users report GMB listings help direct them to businesses that better offer what they are searching for. One in 3 searches in the UAE are about locations of local businesses and 88 percent use Google Maps for directions, according to research by Ipsos.
Additionally, purchasers who see complete listings for businesses on search engine and its Maps service are 20 percent more likely to say the business is reliable, according to Google.
“It has become apparent that consumers are increasingly turning to online channels to access information, products and services, which is why it is absolutely crucial that businesses of all sizes invest in this area and leverage the right tools to boost their online reach,” Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber.
Buamim added that he is optimistic about the program’s outcome after the results of the pilot conducted in 2017 exceeded the Chamber’s expectations.
The ‘Get Dubai Businesses Online’ initiative came into being after an extensive study and pilot programme in 2017 that aimed to address the challenges that business owners with limited advertising budgets and understanding of how to market to customers online face.
Google now plans on rolling out the programme in other cities across the Gulf, said Lino Cattaruzzi, Managing Director for Google in MENA. “We’re very pleased to partner with the Dubai Chamber to help put businesses in Dubai on the map. Now is the time to experiment and to use the digital tools out there to help make businesses smarter, and to measure results. This is just the beginning. We plan to roll out the same program with local partners across the region.”
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