Updated May 9 with a post-event summary
43 small business owners attended the May 8 Maui Techohana with guest speaker, Nick Ponte, talking about how to get your business found on Google. A further 27 joined the presentation via the livestream. Presented by Maui Economic Development Board, with support by the County of Maui, Maui TechOhana includes time for networking to encourage small business owners to collaborate and learn from each other.
Ponte, founder of Myna Marketing, was an engaging and knowledgeable presenter sharing his background as a Maui born and raised entrepreneur that was recognized by Pacific Business News as Hawaii’s second fastest growing business. The topic of SEO (search engine optimization) proved popular, attracting many questions on how attendees could apply the tips to their own business to raise their ranking on google with organic or paid searches.
Ponte pointed out the type of businesses that benefit the most from SEO, the primary ways businesses can be found on google, along with three biggest mistakes businesses make with their SEO.
“I loved his quote at the beginning — ‘if you want to hide a body, hide it on page 2 of Google,’” said Mikaela Bolling, Brilliant Marketing. “That really spoke to the importance of working on your website and doing the long haul, putting in the time and effort.” Asked about the actions she would take now, Boling added, “I definitely want to get more reviews for my website, my Google Business profile. And then I want to look into how to get more backlinks from some of our partners.”
Tim Laws of Hextech commented, “My biggest take away from tonight was learning that my website needs a lot of work by improving on Google, especially ‘claiming the website’, and then use of the keywords – I should probably use a little bit more throughout my website and explain stuff to a greater extent.”
Ponte was happy to have the opportunity to engage with the community and give back to Maui. “This session was designed to give Hawaii business owners practical, easy-to-implement strategies—without needing to be a tech expert,” said Ponte. Key points he explained were how to improve the relevance of your website to your audience, optimizing your Google Business Profile and getting reviews for your business to build your online credibility. Ponte did add, “If you want to get results fast, Google Ads are the way to go.”
Maui Economic Development Board hosts three to four Maui Techohanas per year with the next one planned for July. They provide an informal networking opportunity open to anyone interested in Maui County’s technology industry with guest speakers presenting on a relevant topic in business or technology.
About Nick Ponte
Born and raised on Maui, Nick Ponte knows what it takes to grow a business in Hawaii’s unique market. As the founder of Myna Marketing (formerly Nick Ponte Marketing), he has helped over 500 local businesses get found on Google, attract more customers, and grow their revenue. Many of his clients have gone from small startups to multi-million-dollar companies by implementing his marketing strategies.
