pennsylvania's 2014 eCity
Oct 21, 2014 — TrackFive

Lancaster was named Google’s 2014 eCity for Pennsylvania

Google has named Lancaster the 2014 eCity for Pennsylvania this year! But, as the home of Track5Media, we can’t say we are surprised. 😉

Google began naming the strongest online business communities in all 50 states for the first time last year. In 2013, Exton, which is in Lancaster’s neighboring county of Chester, won the eCity award in Pennsylvania. According to Google’s eCity program, the cities they choose have used the internet to grow their businesses, gain customers, and interact with their public’s more than the rest.

Google’s 2014 eCity for Pennsylvania

The eCities page had this to say about Track5’s beloved hometown: “Located in the heart of Amish country, the city of Lancaster has a lot to offer. Local foods and crafts can be discovered online, and the city’s official blog features info on everything from cultural events to public safety alerts.” The buzz about the economic impact coming from Track5’s city is a sign of the emerging online business community we have seen here within the past decade or so. What was once known as nothing more than a home of farmer’s markets and a tourist-trap for Pennsylvania Dutch, is growing into an emerging tech-town with an eclectic mix of past, present, and future. What once was considered a conservative area is growing into a more and more progressive city everyday.

How did Google choose their cities?
Ipos, a tech research firm, studied the analytical data of small businesses’ online presence and collaborated with Google’s Economic Impact Report. They chose the top 5 cities in each state to evaluate based on AdWords data. They collected samples from 51 randomly chosen “small and medium” sized businesses that employed less than 50 to evaluate their business scores. Some of the factors they looked at was the likelihood these small companies used webpages to sell things directly from their site, blogging, social media promotion, and mobile-friendly site.

google ads

Pennsylvania’s 2014 Economic Impact Report found:

  • Google helped provide PA with $2.3 billion of economic activity for businesses, non-profits, and website publishers in 2013
  • In 2013, 47,000 PA businesses benefited from using AdWords & AdSense (Google’s advertising tools)
  • Google Ad grants program provided $6.2 billion of free advertising to non-profits in PA in 2013

If technology is the future; the future undoubtedly is now. Everyone at the Track5 team is happy to live in a teach-savvy city that is now recognized as a forerunner of the digital world in our home-state. Track5Media is proud to be located in Lancaster, PA– where we can be represented in the new-age!

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