Thursday, 07 April 2011 23:57

Canada: Get Your Business (Offline?)

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Sometimes a little kernel of truth cuts through the marketing.. I was reading Slashdot tonight and noticed an advert for Canada: Get Your Business Online, a 'free web site' promotion by Google, Rogers and a number of other large media and internet corporations here in Canada.

..and I had a nice laugh when I clicked on 'Success Stories' and got a blank 500 error page (pictured above, slightly altered).  True enough.

The GYBO site purports to offer Canadian businesses a 'free' web site - but as with most free things on the net - it's really just a way to get these customers in the door and start making money off of subscriptions and 'oh, I guess we need that too' upgrades to their new, mediocre-quality, use-our-platform-and-pay-up-or-you-go-offline web site and marketing service.

Suggested;  Get a real web designer (with references and a return on investment philosophy), use an open platform, and don't believe the hype. :)

For interested Canadian small business owners, here's a few quick guides:

Good luck!  It's a mess out there :)

More in this category: « Keeping it Simple and Smart

A Quote for your Consideration:

"consumers now purchase based on how well those offerings conform to their self-image."

Source: Jim Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine II, from Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want