Google Digital Garage: What Is It? Why Should I Check It Out?

You ever heard of famous companies that started out their businesses in a garage? If they could pull it off with a literal garage, imagine what you can do using Google’s Digital Garage. Google’s very own online learning program allows you to grow your skills by enrolling in free courses to beef up your digital marketing skills (or perhaps even jumpstart a new career).

The digital age has significantly changed the way people used to work, from marketing to product creation to customer service.

The continuous advancements of technology have made a lot of things easier for businesses to succeed in this internet-driven world. At the same time it’s now more challenging for people without digital skills to stay competitive and relevant in a fast-paced environment.

Enter Google’s Digital Garage, a non-profit nationwide project that aims to provide free training to everyone who wants to add digital skills to his (or her) arsenal. The training programs are carried out using an online learning platform, with an official completion certificate for users who can finish a course.

The certificates aren’t just for show. They are endorsed by Google and the Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB Europe).
For those unfamiliar with IAB Europe, it is a professional association for digital marketing and advertising.

With over 650 popular media companies and brands under its membership, IAB Europe has proven itself in being one of the best at creating and delivering topnotch digital campaigns for various purposes.

Being a proud owner of an IAB certification means the firm itself recognizes your potential to be an essential member of its organization.

Google Digital Garage Sounds Great! (But Is It Really?)

The quick answer is yes, it is.

Mostly because not taking the opportunity while it is there (and entirely free, at that) is robbing yourself of the chance to improve yourself in a world where investing in your skills is necessary if you want to succeed.

Do I really need Google’s Digital Garage to succeed in digital marketing?

Digital skills are easy to learn, but numbers show that even the most technologically advanced countries struggle to create a workforce trained in the department.

In fact, there seems to be a growing trend in the lack of digitally-skilled workers in most developing countries. And it doesn’t help that some companies fail to see the importance of upskilling its current workforce for future benefits.

With Google’s Digital Garage, interested individuals can start to invest in themselves by undergoing free training to learn such digital skills required by the industry.

Literally anyone who has the willingness to learn aided by a functioning computer system can log onto Google’s digital platform. And as a result, begin to understand in-demand topics such as web design and development, content writing, search engine optimization, social media management, data analytics, video editing, mobile app development, and many more exciting courses.

Did we mention you can do all this from the comfort of your home, too?

Learning digital skills can considerably help your chances of landing the job you want, and Google is trying to provide a free opportunity for you to make the most out of.

Whether you are going for a career move, a business move, or simply adding to your life skills, Google’s Digital Garage is open for everyone who wants to learn and gain the necessary skills in today’s digital workplace.

How Can Google Digital Garage Directly Help My Business?

Businesses that employ a workforce effectively trained in digital skills can better maximize the abundance of technological products available at their fingertips.

By investing in training your employees in digital skills relevant to your industry, you are paying for a more efficient workforce that can help your business in several ways.

Here are a few advantages of how digital skills can lead a company into success:

1. By Increasing Total Productivity

The efficiency of the employees can usually measure productivity in the workplace.

Suppose the workforce can do a particular set of tasks in a faster period of time, assuming that the work quality remains the same.

In that case, the office productivity should show a marked improvement.

Proper training in digital technology can contribute to this spike in efficiency because many things people manually do in the office can be done way faster through digital means.

Take, for example, how people share information in the office. There are still workplaces that practice classic information storage techniques such as paper documents in tall piles of folders and cabinets.

While this type of recordkeeping has its perks, a digital workplace saves a significant amount of time searching, storing, and sharing the necessary documents by using soft copy files and a connected computer system instead.

The time saved for the menial tasks can then be allocated into other parts of their job.

Embracing a digitally-skilled workforce also means your business is open to exploring new methods of getting work done.

For instance, technology has allowed some companies to let parts of their team do their jobs remotely, resulting in increased productivity and work satisfaction for select employees.

Being open to possible operational changes brought by digital advancements can help improve the quality of work and the quality of life of your business’s employees.

2. By Increasing Company Revenue

Learning digital marketing skills can help a business achieve a more substantial presence in the market. This is necessary for increasing company revenue. While still potent in some industries, the traditional methods of marketing are generally outdated and outperformed by well-constructed digital advertisements.

Since the internet is one of the most vital sources of influence nowadays, learning skills to create and manipulate online content in the form of blogs, videos, and ads can make or break a company’s online brand.

If a business wishes to stay competitive in the digital age, learning how to engage and persuade customers to effectively buy its brand is a necessary skill. Digital skills such as content writing, website design, and search engine optimization (SEO) are excellent investments in pushing for a better online presence for your business.

• By publishing content that is attractive and helpful to potential clients, you are increasing your brand’s visibility and adding to your layer of influence in your industry.

• Launching a user-friendly website means customers can better navigate your site and find things that can interest them.

• Learning how to incorporate SEO in your online posts will also help your business widen its reach by appearing in more related search results.

A huge part of digital marketing’s success lies in creating and managing relationships with the customers, and investing in the right digital skills moves your business closer to that direction.

Since customers spend a massive amount of their time online, setting up an unforgettable online experience through relatable content, and engaging actions will set up your business site for more return visits and recommendations.

3. By Developing A Competitive Edge

With how fast technology continues to evolve, it is not far fetched to believe that the demand for digital skills will only increase in the near future.

By investing in your workforce’s digital skills now, they will develop expertise faster than your rival businesses.

If they outperform their contemporaries in other companies that only means your business is staying ahead of the competition.

Even global companies like Amazon Web Services understand how essential skills development is in building a successful business, let alone an industry.

A Final Word About Google Digital Garage

So what else are you waiting for?  The best time to start is now!

Getting started on Google’s Digital Garage as early as possible means you can also enjoy using your newly-learned digital skills sooner. There are tons of topics for you to choose from, and you will also create your personal learning plan to find what best suits your interests.

By equipping yourself with digital skills, you are unlocking a world of possibilities for yourself. More companies will want your expertise, and no one is stopping you from creating your own startup business as well using your new learnings. Take the time to upskill and invest in yourself to attain success in the long run.