Beyond the website: The digital presence of a business in the age of AI

The search, social media, AI assistants, marketplaces, and platforms where customers discover and interact with a business create a very different environment from what we previously knew. In the first Business Assembly, we will discuss what “online presence” now means for a small or medium-sized business and what role the website plays within it. We will explore how the way customers find information is changing, how a business's content can be utilized by different platforms and AI systems, the roles played by Google, social media, structured data, online services, and transactions, and ultimately, what professionals should pay attention to today. The meeting will begin with a short presentation of about 20 minutes and will continue with an open discussion featuring a panel of professionals and audience participation. This is not a workshop, nor a presentation of “AI tools.” The aim is to have a substantial discussion about how the internet is changing for businesses and what this might mean in practice over the coming years. Participation is free.