Small businesses are flocking to online for new business growth with help from the search giant.
4,100 Aussie businesses have set up a website through ‘Getting Aussie Business Online’ over the last three weeks alone, Google said today.
Its getting business online initiative is providing a free commercial website with basic information and aims to get 50,000 small businesses up and running this year.
The new figures just announced, mean that they are creating just under 200 sites every day for the past three weeks since its launch earlier this month.
More than a million Aussie businesses don’t have a website, the internet search giant has said.
Cakes by Nadia, based out of Illawong, NSW, is one such new business sign up.
The site now has Twitter and Facebook pages, links and lists of business contact info.
“There were nearly 15,000 searches for “cakes sydney” last month. To be among the results, Nadia needs to be online,” said Claire Hatton, Head of Local Business for Google Australia.
The average time taken to set up a website is about 15 minutes and the service can be access at www.gettingbusinessonline.com.au.
Business owners need to enter their ABN, a phone number, and a few details about their business such as street address, preferred contact method, and opening hours.
After the first year, businesses can pay $5 per month on a pay-as-you-go basis to maintain their website.Com.au domain is free for the first two years, and around $30 annually thereafter.
“We’re thrilled that more than 4,100 small business owners have already set up their free website, said Tim Reed, CEO of MYOB.
“Once you remove the barriers of cost, lack of knowledge and time for Aussie business owners, they are keen to get online and be part of the digital economy.”
