Contagious Media is helping small businesses grow their presence online with a "Let's Put Newtown On The Map: Help Holiday Shoppers Find Your Business" workshop.

The free workshop will be presented Wednesday, October 26, from noon to 3 pm, at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street. The nationwide event is being co-hosted locally by the Chamber of Commerce of Newtown, Inc and Newtown Economic Development Commission.

The "Let's Put Our Cities on the Map" program is bringing Connecticut community members, business owners, and civic leaders together to help small businesses succeed on the web.

Scot Wilson, president of the Newtown-based Contagious Media, reminds everyone that Google is not only a powerful search engine, but also that its products are offered without charge.

"Google maintains the #1 search engine status across all devices. Their position has created a groundswell of website designers, SEO, and e-mail marketing companies claiming they represent Google and offering to verify local businesses for huge fees," he said. "Getting on Google has always been free.

"We're hosting this verification marathon for region businesses so local vendors are visible on Google for Holiday 2016 and beyond," he added. "As long as business owners bring the right business credentials to the event we will verify them on the spot for free."

Emily Harris, manager of Google's Let's Put Our Cities on the Map program, explains the importance of having a business be easily discoverable online.

"Four out of five consumer use search engines to find local information nearby, yet only 37 percent of businesses have claimed their listing on a search engine," she said. "We want to help businesses get ready for the holiday shopping season because 78 percent of shoppers use the internet for holiday research."

Let's Put Our Cities on the Map is a program that empowers communities to support their local businesses and encourage them to get on the map. According to Google, businesses that are online grow 40 percent faster than those that are not.

Visit gybo.com/upcoming-events to learn more about the program and get involved.

Reservations are requested and can be done at recircle.us/oct-26-2016-google-holiday-livestream.

Contagious Media is a Google-certified Street View Trusted developer creating integrated photography and video products delivered across the Google Search Network.

[mappress mapid="403"]