Google representatives, city officials, state legislators and Minnetonka's congressman gathered at The General Store of Minnetonka on Thursday to celebrate how well the community's businesses have done at going online.
Minnetonka was Google's choice as the 2013 eCity of Minnesota.
The eCity Awards, which are in their inaugural year, recognize the strongest online business community in each state.
Google and independent research firm Ipsos MORI began the eCity selection process by calculating the penetration of Google’s AdWords service relative to population size. Businesses in the top five communities in each state, based on AdWords penetration, are then examined to determine their online presence. The community that receives the highest score in each state is selected as that year’s eCity.
Natalie Vernon, who's on Google's small business engagement team, said the program spotlights less-visible businesses that don't have brick-and-mortar locations but do have an online presence. A plumber may make house calls from his home, for example, or a hair dresser may take in clients.
"It creates jobs. It creates growth for the local economy," she said.
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