Google Canada launched its Canada Get Your Business Online initiative this week, telling the 1 million Canadian small businesses without a Web site that it’s time to get online.
Related Story: Google offers to buy Canadian small firms a Web site
At the launch event, Google said there was a gap between the consumer behaviour and business behaviour in Canada when it came to getting online. It hopes a free Web site and domain name will help change that. The search giant is well known for its long list of free services aimed at consumers, and now it looking to offer businesses the same thing. But the latest initiative isn’t the first time Google has made moves to woo businesses.
Scott Goodhew, a sales manager at Google Canada talked to ITBusiness.ca about Google’s lineup of offerings for businesses on Jan. 7, 2009. At that time, Goodhew said there were 500,000 businesses using Google Apps to power their Web domains. Google apps was launched February 2007.