By: Sabrina Ahmed
sahmed@klkntv.com
Google came to Lincoln Friday to help small businesses put themselves on the map.
The company says 97% of consumers search online before making a purchase. But in Nebraska, 61% of companies don't have a website. Friday, Google tried to bridge that gap.
They brought in experts from around the country to teach small business owners how to make their own websites using Intuit - a create your own website company.
Verlin Koebel says his small business has been in Lincoln since 2000 and hasn't been able to find a website that fit, until now. Koebel says, "For Lincoln, it's a great opportunity there are tons of small businesses and entrepreneurs and people just struggling to be found."
Google officials say they have taught people how to make their own sites in 40 states so far. This was the first time in Nebraska.
Chris Russell with Google says, "A lot of small business owners look at creating a website as something that is above and beyond them-it's too hard, it's too difficult, too technical, or too much money. So we wanna show them that none of those things are true."
Intuit offered websites free for the first year to those who attended the seminar. Google also trained groups from across the state Friday to help other small businesses with their websites.
