OHIO COUNTY, W.Va. — Business owners in Wheeling got a chance Thursday to learn how to keep up with rapidly changing technology, including cybersecurity and online visibility, during a technology showcase that brought several local companies together.
The event, described as a one-stop shop, connected business leaders with professionals who work with the kinds of technology used in their day-to-day operations, with a focus on staying secure as tools evolve.
Chip Calissie, the president of Omni Strategic Technologies, said the challenges are growing.
“I mean the reality is it’s harder today than it’s ever been with artificial intelligence and all the cyber security challenges that companies face it’s difficult,” Calissie said.
“The work that my company does on these strategic technologies the comp the work there are a of these other companies they take the burden off of the business leaders and allow them to do what they’re best at so it’s a really good opportunity for them as well.”
Marketing and online search visibility were also highlighted as concerns for businesses, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes a common starting point for searches.
John Blackmore, an executive at Beyond Marketing, said ranking at the top matters because people tend to click the first result.
“So whatever it picks first, you’re at a 64% chance of clicking that making sure that you are the one that appears at the top of that list is really important for us,” Blackmore said.
Blackmore said the company has introduced a service aimed at improving how businesses appear in AI-driven searches.
“So we’ve launched a line called Beyond Visibility, where we help businesses show up number one in someone’s chat search,” he said.
Organizers said the goal was for attendees to leave with a clearer understanding of how technology can affect their businesses and what resources are available.
“Just try to help educate people here in the valley about what resources are available to them to just be a little bit better in terms of the technology they use and protect it as best they can be.”
