Google Offers Free Websites to SMEs

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Google India has announced 'India

Get Your Business Online', a program to offer free websites,

domain & hosting services to small medium businesses (SMEs) in

India. The program provides Indian businesses the tools and

resources to establish a website, find new customers, and grow their

businesses.






The initiative aims to break down the barriers
that stop small businesses from getting online - by offering a quick,

easy and free tool to set up and host a website. Their goal is to

help 500,000 small medium businesses in India to get online in next

three years through this program, with their partner HostGator (the

web hosting company). Small business owners in India can logon to

www.indiagetonline.in and use the tool to get a free, easy-to-build

website and web hosting for one year powered by HostGator. Businesses

will also get a customized domain .in name and free tools, training

and resources to succeed online.

While India is home to an estimated 8

million small medium businesses, only about 5% have a website. This

program is designed to bridge the information gap that exists online

due to the lack of presence of local Indian businesses on the

Internet. Businesses often believe that getting online is too

complex, costly and time-consuming; this perception prevents many

SMBs from taking the first step towards building an online presence.

Google India and HostGator plan to change that through this

initiative.

In addition, HostGator will also offer

free support in creating, hosting and managing the website for a

period of one year without any cost through its toll free call

centers 1800-266-3000.






So what do Indian businesses get:

• Free: It's free to set up your website. The domain is free for 1
  
  year, and it's free to maintain your website for 12 months.

• Quick: The website tool takes 15 minutes from sitting down to
  
  being found online

• Easy: You don't need to be a tech whiz to get started. All you
  
  need to start is your address, phone number, TAN/CIN or PAN to verify
  
  you as a business

• The website is simple because customers are looking for simple
  
  information online

• Gives you your own .in domain

• Other features include photos/logos, integration with social
  
  media platforms

• You get a Google Apps account - free personalised email ids

• If you want to make your website work harder, you'll have access
  
  to steady stream of free tips and tools from the Getting Indian
  
  Business Online team and a free coupon of worth Rs. 2500 INR
  
  advertising trial from Google AdWords to help promote your site.

• After the first year, SMBs can choose to pay a monthly
  
  pay-as-you-go to maintain their website using hostgator.

• At the end of the first year, they'll have to pay a nominal
  
  charge if they wish to renew their domain name. They can cancel their
  
  website at any time.

India get your business online program is also supported by

Federation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), popularly

known as FISME. FISME, the non-profit organisation will work with

Google India to help SMBs get online through direct customer outreach

and events.