Interland’s New Hosting and Marketing Services

Interland, a provider of Web hosting and online services for small and medium businesses, this week launched Interland Business Solutions, a suite of tools designed to help small businesses build, manage and promote an online presence.

Interland’s Business Solution consists of two options — Online Basics and an Online Marketing Suite. Together, the two solutions provide just about all the tools a small business needs to build an online presence.

With Interland’s Online Basics package, small businesses can build and maintain a customized Web site within a few hours. Interland employs a SiteBuilder system that consists of 200-plus templates to facilitate novice users Web site building efforts. The Online Basics program also includes a business e-mail address and up to 50 mailboxes, free domain name for one year, around-the-clock technical assistance and hosting services for less than $23 a month.

Interland’s Online Marketing Suite takes its Online Basics program and adds online marketing services to help small businesses establish a Web presence for just under $50 a month. Users have access to online marketing tools such as:

  • E-mail Manager: Enables users to send and track rich e-mail communications.
  • Search Engine Manager: Lets user easily submit their Web site to more than 100 of the top search engines including Google, Alta Vista and Lycos.
  • E-Store Builder: A storefront creation tool that lets merchants and service-based companies sell products and services online.

Additionally, small businesses have access to a unique set of tools and services that further enhance customer interaction and transaction capabilities. These tools and services feature integrated offerings with Google AdWords, PayPal and Amazon to provide customers with additional integrated marketing capabilities.

The Kelsey Group, a Boston-based research company, recently found that the number of small businesses with a Web site has increased, but not as fast as had been predicted. In a 2002 survey of small businesses that advertise, 43 percent had a Web site, up from 36 percent in 1999.

But a recent survey conducted by Interland revealed that only one-third of small businesses currently have Web sites. Interland recognizes that more and more small and home-based businesses are aware of the benefits building a Web strategy. But many small businesses continue to struggle with developing effective Web sites. Or when small businesses do go online, they next have to learn how to execute Web marketing programs to promote their sites in search engines and figure out how to leverage tricky e-commerce applications.

Small businesses that want to build a Web site will find that doing so is easier than it was in the mid-90s. New software and services like those from Interland have sprung up to bypass many of the hassles in setting up a site or a Web store. But as small business Web pioneers know, building a Web site is just the first part of the battle.

Kim T. Gordon, National Marketing Federation president, said small businesses are struggling for online visibility.

“Interland’s Business Solutions changes the game,” Gordon said. “Now small business owners can easily build online identities, promote their sites and interact with their customers, all of which are essential to building a successful online presence.”

Interland tapped into its years of experience as one of the world’s largest SMB Web hosting providers to ensure the Business Solutions comes with everything small businesses need to maximize their chances for success online.

Joel J. Kocher, chairman and chief executive officer of Interland, said Interland is dedicated to building small business success stories.

“Interland is providing the support, advice and services needed to deliver tangible results online,” Kocher said.

Helen Chan, Yankee Group senior analyst of small and medium business strategies, said as a company, Interland has never lost its focus on the SMB market.

“With Interland’s Business Solutions, SMBs don’t have to deal with the frustration of figuring out how to set up a Web site and how to maximize their Web Site investment on their own,” Chan said.

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