Press Release
18th March 2010
WSI INTERNET MARKETING JOINS CAMPAIGN TO GET BRITISH BUSINESS ONLINE
Initiative designed to help Cheshire’s SMEs create their first websites easily and for free
WSI Internet Marketing, based near Frodsham, has partnered with Google, Enterprise UK, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, BT and e-skills UK to support a joint initiative to get 100,000 UK businesses online.
Getting British Business Online (GBBO) will target the 1.5 million UK businesses that do not currently have a website, giving them the opportunity to create a free professional website and access to training and support. WSI Internet Marketing is supporting the initiative by providing local SME’s with assistance in generating leads and new business from their free websites.
Commenting on their involvement with Getting British Business Online, Andy Wooles, WSI Internet Marketing Consultant said: “The GBBO initiative can get local businesses online quickly, our role is to help SMEs attract visitors to those new websites. Visitors are essential for the success of any website, whether large or small. Many small businesses assume having a website is sufficient, but it requires the right promotion, otherwise it will remain hidden from online searchers. Our focus is always on getting the web to work hard for a business – it should generate a tangible return, and not be just a cost item.”
Businesses that sign up to Getting British Business Online will be given a free .co.uk web address that will be automatically registered in Google’s search engine, a new ‘wizard’ tool that will help them create a website in 20 minutes businesses and ways to attract new customers online. BT will offer free phone support to participants, PayPal will soon enable businesses with a GBBO-powered website to turn their site into an ecommerce platform in just a few clicks. This means they can begin selling to customers and accepting payments quickly and securely via the web.
Commenting on the launch of Getting British Business Online, Matt Brittin, UK Managing Director, said: “Consumer behaviour is changing rapidly as people increasingly turn to the web to find information about local businesses and services. With over 40 million people in the UK now online there has never been a better time for small businesses to use the Internet, enabling them to reach new customers in new markets. We hope a free, easy-to create website will give small businesses the boost they need to get up and running.”
Business organisations including the IoD and Business Links will run activities throughout the UK, and there will be a week long series of events 12th – 16th April around the theme of Getting British Business Online.
Notes to editor:
For press enquiries, please contact: Andy Wooles, WSI, 01928 787026, awooles@wsimarketing.com, www.TopWSIWebMarketing.co.uk
About GBBO
GBBO is a joint initiative by Google, BIS, Enterprise UK, e-skills UK, BT and other business organisations to help SMEs create their first websites and help them understand the opportunities offered by the Internet. The campaign has set a target of helping 100,000 UK SMEs get their first websites easily and for free by the end of 2010. See gbbo.co.uk for further information.
About WSI Internet Marketing
WSI is an Internet Marketing consultancy based in Cheshire. The WSI worldwide network. Of consultancies has been developing profitable Internet Solutions for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) since the mid 1990s. Its global network of over 1500 certified Internet Consultants in 87 countries is the largest of its kind, giving our clients the benefits of a local presence, backed up with the strength and expertise of a global organisation. See www.TopWSIWebMarketing.co.uk for further information.
