Google and MYOB have teamed up to help Small Medium Enterprises build their online identity as new stastistics reveal 60% of them are absent from the World Wide Web.
With the vast availability of the internet, more and more people are jumping online to find the goods and services they need. Unfortunately for the little guys, information released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that 60% of Australian businesses do not have a web presence.
In the midst of an ending financial year, the figures dealing with consumers searching for accountants/taxation specialists reveal the dramatic extent a web presence can be, as according to the ABS, tax related Google searches rose by 1000%.
“In Australia only one third of small businesses have a web presence” said Kate Conroy, Google’s product specialist.
“The fact is, if you’re not on the web and cannot be found your business simply is invisible. Having a website is just as important as having a phone or mail address. During this busy industry period, for small and medium tax accountants in particular, it’s a big risk they really don’t have to take.”
Worse yet, 70% of businesses who employ four people or less don’t have a web presence. Sitting in the information age, it is important for SMEs to develop on online identity, not only to compete against their larger rivals, but also to survive.
Google and MYOB have teamed up to help them get started on the World Wide Web through their Getting Aussie Business Online program. The program allows small businesses to activate and maintain a free website for a year, a free .com.au domain name for 2 years, $75 of Google advertising allowance with expert phone support and free tips on website optimisation. According to the website it only takes 15 minutes to create a web presence.
Since the program’s launch in March this year, over 16 000 SMEs have signed up to the service.
