'Google & Friends' Getting US Small Businesses Online

While 97 percent of Americans look online for local products and services, 63 percent of the country’s small businesses have no website, according to Google. The search giant has teamed up with a network of national and local partners to change that, one state at a time, and has already put thousands of small businesses online.

This program is designed to drive economic growth by providing the nation's businesses with the tools and resources to get online.  Small businesses that want to participate are offered a free, easy-to-build professional website from Intuit, a free customized domain name and hosting for a year, a free local business listing on Google Places and free tools, resources and local events.

"The reality is that many businesses are invisible to their customers and potential customer s looking online," Scott Levitan, Google's director of small business engagement, told BusinessNews Daily. "We created the program to nip the idea in the bud that going online is hard, expensive and time- consuming."

National sponsors participating with Google include Intuit, Meetup, Score and the Association of Small Business Development Centers. Local partners include small business and minority business advocacy groups, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations.

"We couldn't do this alone," Levitan said.

The program, which just launched "New York Get Your Business Online," has now been rolled out in 14 states from Utah to Virginia and has put tens of thousands of small businesses online, Levitan said.  Local partners in New York include Empire State Development, New York Farm Bureau, the Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce, Organization of Latino Entrepreneurs and Women Presidents' Educational Organization-NY.

After a hiatus between Thanksgiving and the New Year, the program will gear up to cover the remaining  states by the end of 2012.

When the free offer expires after 365 days, a business has the option to continue having its site hosted by Intuit for $4.99 per month plus $2 per month for the domain. There are no contracts to sign.

• The Do’s and Don’ts for Picking a URL
• Web Hosting: Which Type Is Right for You?
• Small Business is Good for Local Economies; Big Business is Not, Researchers Say

Reach BusinessNewsDaily senior writer Ned Smith at nsmith@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @nedbsmith.