Top 'eCity' -- Stamford Earns Award for Online Presence

Google has named the city of Stamford as Connecticut’s eCity: the top digital city in Connecticut.

In an announcement Wednesday, Mayor David Martin said the online search giant’s eCity award designates the city in each state with the strongest online business community — the digital capitals of America.

“I am pleased that the city was recognized with this award,” Martin said in a statement. “It speaks volumes to the progress that we’re making in our city in growing the local economy and being attractive to business.”

Martin added, “This award recognizes that our small and medium size businesses are critical to the livelihood of our city and that we have a growing group of very talented entrepreneurs that are using the online tools to make their business a success.”

Google worked with an independent research firm IPSOS to analyze the online strength of local small businesses in cities in all 50 states and Stamford ranks among America’s leading cities in the digital economy.

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“Stamford was selected after Google surveyed of each of the 50 states to determine the top five cities in each state whose small businesses had a strong Internet presence,” according to Thomas Madden, Stamford Director of Economic Development.

“This award recognizes the work being done under Mayor David Martin’s ‘Small Business Initiative program’ and its partners, Stamford’s Chamber of Commerce, Greater Stamford Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Business Development Council, The Downtown Special Service District, The Stamford Partnership and the Ferguson Library, have been working together to help strength Stamford’s local economy,” Madden said.

The city recently teamed up with the Ferguson Library and Google to hold two “Put Your Business On The Map” workshops. These workshops provided small businesses with guidance on how to create a free website as well as tools, training, and resources to help businesses succeed online.

“We’re proud to recognize this growing entrepreneurial-spirit—and the role that it plays in both creating jobs and sustaining local economies,” said Emily Harris, Marketing Manager for Google’s Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map Program. “With 97-percent of Internet-users looking for products and services online, it’s clear that success is about being connected.”

Photo from Google.