More than 500 businesses, agencies and brands participated in Google's first ever ‘Think with Google' event at the Faisaliah hotel on Thursday. The company announced its intention to increase its efforts in supporting small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) in Saudi Arabia get online through its dedicated SMB Partner program launched earlier this year. Government officials, business owners, marketing professionals and media, gathered to learn more about how to use digital platforms to grow. Speakers from Google discussed the trends that are characteristic of the Saudi Web, the future of technology, how brands can target consumers in the moments that matter and in real time, branding in the digital age, and the evolution of mobile technology. The event also featured panel discussions from local entrepreneurs who shared their success stories. Digital advertising allows businesses to reach their customers with relevant information at the right time. Businesses can now communicate with their audience at scale and optimize their budgets autonomously. Thus, leveling the playing field between businesses and providing users with the ultimate power of choice. Ronan Harris, vice president of large customer sales for Google in Europe Middle East and North Africa, said: "Nowadays, businesses need to be digitally present, informed on consumer preferences, and connected to their customers at the right moment. And whether you are a small company, a large company or an advertising agency, Google can help you achieve these goals and grow your business on the Web." Harris added: "Google Search, Google Maps, and YouTube are some of the products that help users navigate their daily life by operating under the same principle: to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." Shant Oknayan, head of SMB Marketing for Google in the Middle East and North Africa, said: "You simply cannot afford not to be online. Research has shown that small businesses with online presence grow twice as fast, generate twice as much in export revenue and create twice as many jobs as businesses with no online presence, so the benefit is clear. Furthermore, the online opportunity in Saudi Arabia is big. This landscape is fast moving and businesses need to react fast." The Internet allows anyone, anywhere access to the various products developed to empower businesses, and in doing so, digital advertising is redistributing business opportunities that strengthen the economy. Saudi Arabia's digital landscape is among the most established globally: Internet penetration rates are above 64% with more and more individuals coming online everyday. And users here are mobile consumers with smartphone penetration rates above 72% — amongst the highest in the world! Saudi users are developing a unique and visible digital footprint, with an increasing rate of digital content generation and consumption. This has established Saudi Arabia as a leader in YouTube, with the highest watch time per capita. Although Saudi users are online, only 15% of businesses in Saudi Arabia have an online presence, this is low especially when compared to 37% of businesses online in Turkey and 40% of businesses online in the US. Through its SMB Partner program, Google wants to help in overcoming this and provide the support needed for businesses to improve their digital presence. So far, Google has invested heavily in upscaling its infrastructure of Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube and other products to address this rapid growth in Saudi Arabia. Google also launched numerous efforts and partnerships to support the rise of local talent, creators and entrepreneurs to further enrich the new wave of Saudi digital content. By bringing small businesses online, the Web opens these local businesses to global markets and customer opportunities. In this way the web levels the playing field for all businesses allowing small businesses to become global players. Also, online advertising offers advertisers real value for money compared to traditional advertising. It gives businesses the option to target their audience more efficiently and attain a better measure of their results. In fact, research shows that those that do advertise online (62%) consider it to be cost-effective, easy and user friendly. YouTube, with its pay-per-view advertising model, and the annual growth in ‘watchtime' (60% YoY), is another big opportunity for small businesses to tap into. KSA is one of the most important digital environments for SMBs to entertain and inform their consumers using content that they want to spend time with. SMBs that leverage the Web, will not only have better business outcomes but can be economic powerhouses that will create new jobs for the country. In preparation for this as well, Google will continue to empower people in acquiring the digital skills necessary to prepare them for the jobs of the future. — SG
