A national campaign to get Irish businesses online has been launched by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
Getting Irish Business Online targets the 40% of Irish SMEs including sole traders that do not have a website or an online presence.
Google, Blacknight Internet Solutions, An Post and the County & City Enterprise Boards are all involved in the partnership www.gettingbusinessonline.ie.
The campaign wants all businesses that do not have a website to log on to the website where they can create their own business website for free.
‘Irish businesses need to be establishing themselves on-line now to get a foothold in the on-line market. In the challenging economic times that we are working to overcome, having an on-line presence would help Irish businesses survive and keep people in jobs.
‘For most businesses, having a presence online is no longer an optional extra: it’s an essential part of business in the twenty-first century,’ said Mr Kenny.
‘The presence of Google and other technology companies here forming a digital services hub is a very real asset to the Irish economy. This new innovation will help get more Irish small business online - so they can sell their goods and services from Ballina to Beijing.’
Google research shows that almost 60% of Irish commercial SMEs do not have an entry in an online directory and that 40% do not have a website.
Over 75% of Irish customers use the Internet as their primary tool for researching new companies and products, and 68% believe that search engines help to find relevant sellers of products.
