Is your small business online? According to a survey by Ipsos, a global market research firm, and search engine giant Google, more than 58 percent of the small businesses in the United States don’t have a website. Big mistake! The same survey found that 97 percent of Americans look online for services and products, including local goods. If you’re nowhere to be found online you’re likely losing business to the competition.
In a generous effort to help local businesses get online, Google is giving away free custom domain names and a year’s worth of hosting. The yearlong program, which started in the spring of 2012, is a joint collaboration between Google and Intuit, Inc., and is meant to help small businesses establish a solid Internet presence.
Rebecca Ginsberg, a Google representative in New York, says that businesses that are not online in this day in age are losing money. "The reality is that many businesses are invisible to potential customers looking online," said Ginsberg."Small businesses are the backbone of this country, but a lot of them are missing out on opportunities by not being online."
The offer from Google and Intuit, Inc. is available to all US-based small businesses. Web hosting and a custom domain name are free for the taking for one year, in addition to easy-to-use website building tools. After that, Intuit charges a $4.99 monthly fee for web hosting and $2 a month for the domain name. To take advantage of this offer, visit GYBO.com, and sign-in with your Google account. Don’t have a Google account? No worries, because they’re free too.