MYOB, Google tackle Sensis with SMB deal

By Brett Winterford on Mar 2, 2011 11:17 AM
Filed under Software

Free hosting, domains for Australian small business.

Business software vendor MYOB and Google have offered free web site hosting, domain name registration and web advertising to Australian small businesses in a move that could prove a challenge to Sensis' YellowPages.

The partners planned to provide 50,000 Australian small businesses with one year of simple web site hosting using MYOB's Atlas web builder, two years of .com.au domain registration and $75 worth of Google AdWords at no charge.

Businesses were required to have a registered ABN (Australian Business Number) to be eligible for the offer, available at gettingbusinessonline.com.au

At the expiry of the offer, customers would pay $5 per month on a pay-as-you-go basis for the website, and $30 per 24 months for the domain name.

MYOB chief executive Tim Reed told iTnews the websites would be hosted in Australia by a third party partner, but declined to disclose where for reasons of security.

UPDATE 03/03/11 - MYOB chief executive Tim Reed has apologised for this error. The sites will be hosted in Singapore.

Pending the venture's success, MYOB would have built a substantial database of Australian businesses. Reed said MYOB would own that database of small business customers.

UPDATE 03/03/11 - MYOB chief executive Tim Reed has apologised for this error. Google will also have access to this data.

The de facto online listing service for Australian businesses today is Sensis, owned by Telstra and license holder for 'Yellow Pages'.

A spokesperson for Sensis said it would continue to stave off competition as it offered a "one stop shop" for small businesses - both online and offline (phone book) listings and apps for iPhone and Android.

Sensis is increasingly using product bundles - using these listing resources and other Telstra services - to retain its dominant position in the small business market.

A February 2011 Business Index survey undertaken by Sensis showed that one in three (33 percent) of Australian small and medium-sized enterprises planned to "increase their digital presence" in the year ahead.

Sensis is also a strong partner of Google as an AdWords reseller.

MYOB, Google tackle Sensis with SMB deal

4 comments in this discussion

"Firstly this seems like a great step Google and MYOB have taken to give more Australian businesses’ an online presence. In relation to the concern with the why MYOB and Google would be supplying ..."

By hivenetau

Tags

myob, google, sensis, yellow, pages, domain, names, hosting, adwords

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Comments: 4

joelunch Mar 2, 2011 12:16 PM	How are small web firms supposed to compete with Google? Thanks google, kill of all the web designers which create sites to appear in your search engines why don't you?
Ian Exaudi Mar 2, 2011 2:25 PM	Whilst I do agree with the assertion that almost every business needs to be online (far to few are) and that it shouldn’t cost the Earth to do so ... I also feel it prudent to remind business owners that you generally get what you pay for with "free" template business websites. It’s a little like saying that you can run your business using an Excel spreadsheet (I did for a year or so as a single-operator myself). Sure you can, but MYOB’s 1 Million plus customers realise that this isn’t the best way to do things either. Same thing with the "free" websites being offered here and other places ... They will get your business online just fine but they may not represent your brand/business very well or you may outgrow them quite quickly. Don’t be afraid to try the free stuff though ... and if/when it becomes necessary then look for a more professional solution to suit your needs. A simple small-business website built by a professional who takes the time to understand your needs often costs somewhere in the $1K to $2K range. That’s a good price to pay for a good branding and marketing tool. I had this conversation with MYOB’s Tim Reed and Tony Palmer from C4 a couple of weeks ago on Sky News Business channel’s "Technology Behind Business". We all have slightly different points of view but there might be some good ideas in it that are appropriate to your small business, if you have a few minutes to watch the discussion. http://www.youtube.com/CreativeIntersection
shanep Mar 2, 2011 9:31 PM	MYOB will use Ilisys web hosting to host these website. MYOB owns them. Thanks MYOB You Screwed my MYOB Consulting business. I also offer Web site and Hosting services (Resell ilisys services) you are now going to screw that up now. Theres no loyalty anymore its lets screw over small business so the big useless directors have big pay packets. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
hivenetau Mar 3, 2011 1:41 AM	Firstly this seems like a great step Google and MYOB have taken to give more Australian businesses’ an online presence. In relation to the concern with the why MYOB and Google would be supplying a free service, I referred to the terms and conditions. Seems although MYOB would own the database of customers there is nothing in the terms and conditions mentioning customers would have to use other MYOB products to continue with their website service. However beware this could change at any moment, as the phase goes there is no such thing as a free lunch. Ian Exaudi makes a good point above… “Don’t be afraid to try the free stuff though ... and if/when it becomes necessary then look for a more professional solution to suit your needs.” In business it’s sometimes best to do things step-by-step, as your goals become larger let your online presence follow with a more technologically and aesthetically functional website which meets your business and branding goals. On a side note to the comments above, we provide hosting solutions and advanced website solutions, we see this more as an assistance to small business getting online and progressing to something we can provide as they require, and not really a hindrance to our business.