Online website building service SiteNOW, created by Perth company Cube7, will be available through the ninemsn small business centre after the two companies joined forces last week.
Australia’s small and medium-sized businesses will benefit most from the service, which Cube7’s managing director Jeremy Horne said would provide creative website solutions at a fraction of the cost of competitors.
Mr Horne said the co-branded ninemsnSiteNOW would include a content management system for users to independently update information on their website as well as online marketing tools such as newsletters, customer databases and shopping carts.
Prices for the websites will range between $1000 and $3000.
“While most business owners recognise the need for a website, only 15 per cent of small businesses and half of medium-sized businesses actually have one,” Mr Horne said.
“The historically high cost of website development has certainly been a barrier to SMEs pursuing online marketing opportunities.”
“As a result, many would have missed out on significant business development potential.”
Mr Horne said with the massive growth in e-commerce and use of the internet, not having a web presence was bad business practice.
“If you consider there are more than 1.2 million small businesses in Australia, there is enormous potential for a product like SiteNOW, especially when teamed with ninemsn,” he said.
Mr Horne said ninemsn was Australia’s most visited website and already had a base of small and medium business customers using its ‘small business centre’ services.
“It’s the perfect synergy for SiteNOW and we’re looking forward to providing Australian businesses with websites which really do make a difference to their bottom lines,” he said.
“Never before have businesses been able to get web solutions like this for less than $10,000.”
