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Internet marketing in Bryan
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I had the wonderful experience of attending the 2nd annual BlogSavannah UnConference on Friday. Topics ranged from Blogging 101 to Working Mommy Bloggers.

There was also a session on Business Blogging that I missed, in order to attend the Writing with Authority Session.

I had the opportunity to run into a few other folks from Richmond Hill. They have businesses and they are on the web. This got me to thinking - do businesses in Bryan County need a web presence to compete effectively in today’s commercial market?

Let’s consider this for a moment. A quick internet search shows that the major agencies in the county have websites.

You can find tons of information on emergency services, education and government. You can pay property taxes and the City of Richmond Hill has a new online water bill payment system. This tells me that our community does look for information and will do business online.

Another quick internet search also reveals that many local industries have a web presence. Health and Wellness, Real Estate, Non-Profits, Financial Institutions, Attorneys and a host of other businesses have a web address. Through folks that I know, I can also tell you there are some businesses that function entirely online.

There is no brick and mortar structure - only a web address. This tells me that if you are in business and not online, your competition probably is.

I go one last time to the internet search. Not everyone is there. In fact, a few very successful businesses have not gone the way of internet marketing.

This tears me into two directions. Either they are missing an opportunity for business growth or they really would not benefit from online exposure. I can’t help but believe it is the former and not the latter.

Recent statistics show that roughly 20 percent of media consumption comes from online activity. I am a bit surprised the number is that low. There is a major industry in town that has 80 percent of its prospective client base looking online before they ever step into an office or pick up a phone. We are in an age of email and eBay. Ask around to find out how much of last month’s Christmas shopping happened online. Find out where people go to order their favorite coffee, barbeque sauce or shoes. Are you surprised to learn that "Google" is a verb and not just a website? Do you know what a "Google" is? How about a "blog," "PayPal," or "Amazon." While this terminology may or may not be your everyday vernacular, you can bet a large segment of the purchasing public know just what I am talking about.

Why online? I can’t speak for everybody, but I can speak for a lot. Online offers an in-your-pajamas-at midnight opportunity to search, shop, compare and buy - and then wait for the "on your doorstep" delivery which can be as fast as overnight in many cases. No gas, no carts, no lines - just a mouse and a credit card. Some are going there to make purchases while others are going to investigate establishments they are planning to do business with. Shopping on the internet has become easier and safer and more consumers are going there.

During the holidays we talked about "buying local." It is an idea I believe in with a deep passion. However, I am like most folks with a busy schedule, kids to coordinate and not a lot of time to leisurely peruse through a shop or check out local service providers during normal working hours. I spend a good deal of time online with a cup of coffee early in the morning searching for consumer information so I can either buy it online or run a quick errand to pick it up. Can I find your business there?

Granted, I am only one voice. I would love to hear what you think about it.

 

April Groves covers all things business for the Bryan County News. You can send feedback, press releases, tips and questions you’d like to answered to agroves@bryancountynews.com.

 

 

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Record April boosts Savannah's container trade at port
GardenCityTerminal
The Port of Savannah moved 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units in April, an increase of 7.1 percent. - photo by Provided

The Georgia Ports Authority's busiest April ever pushed its fiscal year-to-date totals to more than 3.4 million 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), an increase of 8.8 percent, or 280,000 TEUs, compared to the first 10 months of fiscal 2017.

"We're on track to move more than 300,000 TEUs in every month of the fiscal year, which will be a first for the authority," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "We're also anticipating this to be the first fiscal year for the Port of Savannah to handle more than 4 million TEUs."

April volumes reached 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units, up 7.1 percent or 23,700 units. As the fastest growing containerport in the nation, the Port of Savannah has achieved a compound annual growth rate of more than 5 percent a year over the past decade.

"As reported in the recent economic impact study by UGA's Terry College of Business, trade through Georgia's deepwater ports translates into jobs, higher incomes and greater productivity," said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood. "In every region of Georgia, employers rely on the ports of Savannah and Brunswick to help them become more competitive on the global stage."

To strengthen the Port of Savannah's ability to support the state's future economic growth, the GPA Board approved $66 million in terminal upgrades, including $24 million for the purchase of 10 additional rubber-tired gantry cranes.  

"The authority is committed to building additional capacity ahead of demand to ensure the Port of Savannah remains a trusted link in the supply chain serving Georgia and the Southeast," Lynch said.

The crane purchase will bring the fleet at Garden City Terminal to 156 RTGs. The new cranes will support three new container rows, which the board approved in March. The additional container rows will increase annual capacity at the Port of Savannah by 150,000 TEUs.

The RTGs will work over stacks that are five containers high and six deep, with a truck lane running alongside the stacks. Capable of running on electricity, the cranes will have a lift capacity of 50 metric tons.

The cranes will arrive in two batches of five in the first and second quarters of calendar year 2019.

 Also at Monday's meeting, the GPA Board elected its officers, with Jimmy Allgood as chairman, Will McKnight taking the position of vice chairman and Joel Wooten elected as the next secretary/treasurer.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Senior Director of Corporate Communications Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.

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