Web.com small business marketing events share website building and marketing expertise with attendees, says the company.
Mass market web hosting provider Web.com has a new tactic for winning small business hosting customers, planning a series of 25 events in locations around the US, to provide small businesses with hands-on help with building and marketing a presence online.
The 25 events will coincide with the locations of events Web.com tour, the developmental golf tour operated by the PGA and sponsored by the hosting company. Starting in 2013, says Web.com, the tour will become “the pathway to the PGA,” with all 50 new PGA tour cards distributed through the Web.com tour.
Like the tour, Web.com’s small business forums will hit 25 location in the US over the course of 2013, with the first event taking place in conjunction with the Chitimacha, Louisiana Open on March 21st.
According to the press release, the small business forums will focus on “the challenges and opportunities that small businesses face when moving from more traditional media to having an online presence.” Web.com says the content will focus on building a website, online marketing, and search engine marketing, including local search, e-commerce and social media and mobile.
“Small businesses have so many competing demands on their time and energy, and we know the added need to successfully market their business online can seem daunting,” says David L. Brown, chairman and CEO of Web.com, quoted in the press release. “Our mission at Web.com is to share our expertise with small businesses so that they understand the essential elements of a successful online marketing presence and can move forward with confidence.”
Web.com says it will be holding the free events in conjunction with SCORE, an organization that provides mentoring and workshops for small business owners across the US. The obvious opportunity in the events is for Web.com to establish itself as a valuable advisor to the small businesses that could potentially become customers of its services.
The new program appears to be part of an interesting trend that has seen hosting providers looking to get their services in front of small businesses look outside the traditional marketing channels, or non-traditional ways to package their services around small business requirements.
And earlier in December, UK web hosting provider EasySpace launched a new package of hosting services for new businesses registered for incorporation via the government agency Companies House.
Talk back: Do you think the Web.com marketing forums will prove to be an effective means of attracting new small business customers? Do you do any kind of non-traditional marketing outreach to communicate with small business customers? Let us know in the comments.
About Liam Eagle
Liam Eagle has worked as a contributor to the Web Host Industry Review since its inception in 2000, and as editor since 2003. He has been editor of the WHIR's print magazine since its launch. His daily involvement in the gathering and reporting of Web hosting news and his regular interaction with Web hosting leaders gives him an uncommonly broad appreciation of the issues and tends facing the business. Through his WHIR blog, Liam spots Web hosting trends and offers opinions on the industry-wide impacts of major developments and the motivation behind big announcements. Follow him on Twitter @liameagle
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I am quite familiar with developing programs for small businesses. For 5+ years I managed the Fort Detrick Business Development Office (FDBDO) – a then new concept whereby a “One Stop Shop” was provided for small, diverse businesses and large businesses alike offering a gateway into the procurement activities of a multi-dimensional developing “campus” in Frederick Maryland that included the USA Bio Defense presence (USAMRIID etc.) and non DoD agencies including DHS, USDA, HHS and others. Currently I am talking with a federal agency that is interested in providing this type of a concept for small, diversity businesses. As consideration, the concept would provide regional proximity to federal installations and their major prime contractors for procurement opportunities for the small diversity businesses that would become part of an interactive database of potential contractors . Training, competitive opportunities broadcasting, counseling, access to web capabilities such as contract databases and opportunity tracking and proactive interfaces with SCORE, NCMA, AFCEA, SAME and other federal government oriented associations; local Chambers of Commerce and other organizations offer a unique mentoring program for the Veteran Owned business; the Woman Owned business and in fact any entity seeking business with federal agencies. There may be synergies that would be adaptable to the web.com tour. I would be most interested in speaking further with you about this opportunity.