OMG, is this the next killer app? Ads are running on the morning news radio and TV: Google now offers free website and hosting for Canadian small businesses. What a break. No need to contract a designer, developer, domain registrar and web service provider to get a professional presence online. 
“Congratulations on taking the big first step toward getting your business website online! By signing up with Yola, you’re on your way to creating a professional website for your business…” greets a small business owner.
Google partnered with several companies, like Rogers, Royal Bank, chamber of commerce, Silver Lining and others to offer this service. It is based on online web-creating software from Californian company Yola and CIRA -registrar for .ca canadian online identities.
You don’t need any technical or creative skills, just sign up and all is created and published for you. So what’s the catch? No catch really, if you don’t count that domains offered are .ca only, service is provided free for one year only, the website is made from a choice of 3 free templates with several variations allowing you to edit either the banner or background, but usually not both. And, oh yes: the footer of your free website will prominently display a large Yola branding banner in a nice contrasting color. A credit card is required at the time of signing to verify your Canadian identity.
If you don’t like any of the above features, you can always upgrade to premium, paid services – advertisements for those follow you every step on the way to publishing your new website.
So renewal of the domain will cost about $40 (more than double the price elsewhere); for $8 more you get access to premium templates, Yola branding is removed from your site , as are the other advertising and logo credits, phone and email support, etc., you know how it goes.
You also get $50 credit toward AdWords (that’s Google ads for marketing your site in the search engines, for those who don’t know the term). $50 runs out in less than a month without any results if you do not research your market niche carefully and analyze properly every letter in 20-word two lines ad in relation to your competition and current demand. It’s a start though – usually a good start to learning – from failures. How else do we learn?
Once you chose template style, your 5-page site is created and displayed for editing. There is an option of widgets with fun games or widget maker advertisements, heavily branded and with design colors that are not editable, most likely not fitting your site. It becomes tacky very quickly. Once you look at the preview it usually is a non-starter or starter-and-stumbler while you try to develop a proper identity and functions for your business online. But hey, if it got you going toward your online presence, that’s a great goal achieved right there.
Free website with Google, Rogers, Royal Bank and Silver Lining is a great 1-year option for small businesses who just want their name among millions already online.
For a solution tailored to your needs, likely to exceed your expectations and which is almost free, please contact us at minibizweb.com