New website encourages SMEs to get online

New website encourages SMEs to get online

Media release – 26 June 2013

This release is available online at https://nzrs.net.nz/news

With over half of New Zealand adults now shopping on the Internet, a new website is aiming to help  small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) grow by getting online.  

InternetNZ subsidiary .nz Registry Services (NZRS) has today launched www.getyourselfonline.co.nz to inform SMEs about the benefits of  being online,  offering clear practical advice how to do it. 

On the website, users can search for available .nz domain names and choose from one of the many  companies that provide .nz domain registration and other online services.  

NZRS Marketing and Channels Manager David Morrison says the www.getyourselfonline.co.nz website arms New Zealand businesses with the information they need to get started and connect with businesses who can help.

As well as providing practical tips for getting online, the website  features a series of video interviews with typical New Zealand businesses, including Wellington-based Blue Carrot Catering who credit being online as key to a recent sales surge.

”I’d recommend any small business out there to certainly get a .nz website if they haven’t already got it,” says Blue Carrot co-owner Gordon Blair.

NZRS’ Morrison says for businesses with a New Zealand focus a .nz domain is an important part of connecting with customers. However, recent NZRS-commissioned research shows that SMEs need support to get online.

Findings show that two thirds of New Zealand businesses do not have a domain name for use with email or a website, and 57 percent of businesses don’t know how to register a domain name.

“There is a significant disconnect between how the public use the Internet as a vital source of information for products and services and how businesses engage online,”  says Morrison.  

“Luckily, an online presence  for a SME does not have to be complex. People searching online are after key information. What services or products do you offer? When are you open if you have a physical location? and how do I contact you?

“This new website is a useful source of information, tips and guides, helping small businesses understand in Plain English how easy it is to get online,” he says.

ENDS

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