Google & Pay Pal aims to get 100,000 UK businesses online
The search giant has joined forces with BT, PayPal, Enterprise UK,e-skills UK and the Institute of Directors to launch the Getting British Business Online (GBBO) project, which aims to bring 100,000 businesses online by the end of the year.
Google estimates that about 1.5m businesses still do not have an online presence, despite the fact that two-thirds of the population now have access to the internet.
Matt Brittin, managing director of Google UK, said: "Consumer behavior is changing rapidly as people increasingly turn to the web to find information about local businesses and services.
"With over 40m people in the UK now online there has never been a better time for small businesses to use the internet. We hope a free, easy-to-create website will give small businesses the boost they need to get up online."
Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, said: "Encouraging more businesses to seize the opportunities the internet offers is particularly important now that the economy is growing again. GBBO brings together support to set up a website and training to make the most of the internet."
Gavin Patterson, chief executive officer, BT Retail, said: "We know that businesses that have boosted their online activity have been three times more effective at winning customers in today's tough climate."
Companies that sign up to the scheme will be given a free ".co.uk" website, through which they will soon be able collect payment via a collaboration with PayPal. Businesses can register for the project at gbboo.com
What we have to say about that
While we commend your efforts to provide more businesses and yourself more ways to attract customers and generate more income, but you are putting a very negative spin to the web design industry. There is very large misconception that all websites are created equal and that is just no the case. We are a custom web design, development and marketing firm and we know 1st hand that some free second rate websites can actually hurt your business rather than help it. You get what you pay for just as with anything else in life. We are already having to battle with India based companies and freelancers pricing way below industry averages for projects and doing them for thousands of dollars less than what the actual value is for the time necessary to produce the project. Then with other companies like idearc media(superpages) homestead, Duns N Bradstreet and other large entities trying to offer their customers free or cheap websites just so they can provide added benefits to their clients cause their sales have dropped or their products an services are loosing value all together. We all know that create and developing a website that can generate income or represent your business to attract major clients and customers is not going to get done through so drag and drop website builder or with some templating system. We see it all the time...companies call us with some website their nephew created or was part of their phone package complaining how horrible it is. Your website is sometimes the very 1st things a new or customer sees and if it does give you the look and feel of someone they want to do business with they are gone and the sad part is you will never know it nor will you ever have the opportunity to change their mind. Almost 86% of consumers go to the web to research products and services before they ever make a decision and the facts are in " IF THEY DO NOT LIKE YOUR WEBSITE OR IT IS POORLY DESIGNED, LOOKS CHEAP OR HAS ANY NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THEM AT ALL" they are gone FOREVER! So this comment is just us saying stick to what you do best and that is processing credit cards and leave the web design and development to the professionals. You big corporate machines think you can just dip into every industry you see producing good margins. I know for a fact that 90% + corporations that try and get in to other products and services other than what they do fail. So waste your money, hurt the little guys and tear the fabric of the industry but int he end things will go back tot he order in which they should be. The sad thing is only all the damage you will cause with your attempt.