I am a small business. Because of the free services offered with giant Google, and not-so-giant Merchant Circle, I survived a recession and have been able to focus on growing my business.
Google Apps, or applications, is pretty simple to use. Just like anything else, you have to navigate and learn through trial and error, but bottom line is you can create your own domain for only $10 a year, and Google will host your website for FREE. That includes mailboxes, document storage, widgets... the whole 9 yards!
Merchant Circle lets you create a Merchant account: you build your bio, company info, and can dress it however you want. If you aren't getting the look and feel you want, they even offer to create it for you! You get a free marketing campaign, a free coupon, and they are constantly indexed so what you do here, gets picked up on searches! That rocks!
Call me a kook but I actually took the tag I got in the mail for being a favorite on Google maps, and put it in my tree! (The smaller version, I framed, lol.) The kids and I abandoned all old traditions because our lives weren't fun then. We are creating our own, new ways of celebrating the holidays, and our freedom. We put random things that make us happy, in the tree. I am grateful for these two free sources of marketing and web hosting.
I only will stand up for things I truly believe in. These two products allowed me to establish, maintain and grow my web presence, picking up credibility along the way. (Through a recession mind you) And I am not being paid or rewarded to promote either of them.
Google is a verb in my world. I Google new products, shopping for best prices. I Google potential employees, other companies, restaurants, anything and everything. Ever since my CCVP (Cisco) tech told me 2 years ago to avoid AOL like the plague and use Google, that was it. I take his word as Gospel.
I suggest to any small business with a small budget to create an account with Google and take advantage of all the free things you can do, as well as Merchant Circle.
"If it carries a signal, I'll hook you up!" my website is hosted by Google herehttp://www.onadimeinstallations.com.
Peace and Best Wishes to all of Western New York, Merchant Circle and Google.
2010 is going to ROCK!
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