Google is part of a government initiative to get 100,000 British businesses online by the end of the year.
Google drive to get 100,000 businesses online
Google is part of a government initiative to get 100,000 British businesses online by the end of the year.
Speaking at last week’sTravolution Summit, UK managing director Matt Brittin said the Getting British Business Online project was on track to achieve its target.
GBBO is a joint initiative involving a number of partners including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, BT, Enterprise UK, the Institute of Directors and PayPal.
The aim is to get businesses online with a free website via a tool which enables them to choose a template and create a site within about 15 minutes.
The sites are included in Google’s search index and added as a business listing on Google maps. Help with promoting websites and transacting online is also provided.
Figures show around 1.5 million businesses in the UK do not have a website despite how advanced e-commerce is with more than 40 million people online.
During the Summit Brittin said travel had done a good job early on in terms of getting online but that the sector could still learn from other verticals such as retail.
“We are now starting to see people figuring out what it means to be multi-channel in travel but there is more to be done in terms of how to make the multi-channel experience a better one,” he said.
He also stressed the internet still provided businesses with a big opportunity to compete on a ‘level footing’.
“There’s lots of good material online to help you. The tools and technology is much easier than ever before,” said Brittin.
