(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — In an effort to make it easier for businesses to create an online presence and be found, Web host and software developer Intuit (www.intuit.com), best known for its QuickBooks accounting software, is adding new capabilities to its Web hosting service to provide small businesses the tools needed to quickly get up and running online.
The latest version of Intuit’s do-it-yourself website building tool, announced Tuesday, enables small businesses to customize their websites to reflect their unique business. It includes more than 2,000 customizable templates available, drag-and-drop website elements, integration with social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, E-commerce capabilities, and browser-based site management.
“In today’s Internet-driven world, having a website and building an online presenceis essential for a small business,” stated Angus Thomson, vice president and general manager of Intuit’s Grow Your Business division. “It provides an enormous opportunity to not only attract new customers online, but also engage with existing ones so they keep coming back.”
In order to drive traffic to their websites, small businesses have the option of signing up for Intuit’s WebListings service, an additional service that submits business information to more than 100 major local search sites to help local customers find the business. This is significant because the Internet is quickly replacing local directories such as the paper version of Yellow Pages, with some 93 percent of US consumers turning to the Internet to find local businesses.
In a Q&A interview with the WHIR, UniversalBusinessListing.org strategic partnerships senior vice president Curtis R. Curtis offered some advice to those hoping to create a local presence online.
“[L]ocal search is not your traditional SEO,” Curtis said. “It does require a different mindset and Google and others use different algorithms for Local than they do regular SEO. It is important you learn and understand that there is a difference. The great thing is; if you know these rules, local becomes very easy. Just follow the rules and you will do very well in local search.”
Other services include search engine optimization, which improves the visibility of a website in search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing, and email marketing, which enables small businesses to send targeted emails directly to customers.
Additionally, Intuit’s free Online Marketing Toolkit (www.intuit.com/toolkit) provides resources for small businesses interested in learning more about online marketing strategies and tactics. It shares best practices on topics ranging from “Building a Website” to “Search Engine Marketing” and “Social Marketing,” as well as real-life small business success stories.
Intuit’s shared hosting packages start at $4.99 per month, and the first month is free.
