Member Article

New online sales opportunities for SMEs

SMEs looking to branch out into the online market place are to be offered the chance to build free web shops thanks to a local entrepreneur.

www.webshopworld.co.uk will allow users to quickly and easily build a new site complete with e-commerce capability. The business hopes to provide small businesses with a cost-effective way to build a presence online.

Matthew McGrillis decided to set up the site after spending 12 years working in IT with big brands such as Nike and Orange. He soon realised that the online benefits of these companies would also be vastly beneficial for smaller independent companies.

Matthew said: “The joy of the Internet is you don’t need to have an expensive high-street premises: an online retailer can operate a successful business from the comfort of their own home.

“The thing that stops your average small-business person from getting an online shop is typically either fear of not knowing where to start, or that they will never be able to afford the thousands of pounds that web designers normally charge to create them”

After setting up a website for his business partner, scoop4ads.com, a local free classified business directory site, Matthew began to consider whether the same technology could be applied to individual websites.

Matthew added: “We make it possible for even the most non-technical of people to build their own site, and have them up, running and selling within minutes.

“We set out to make eCommerce accessible and affordable to everyone, and our customers will tell you that we have achieved that goal.”

It is initially free to join webshopworld.co.uk but there is the option for clients to purchase additional features to expand their brand, including new domain names, Search Engine Optimisation and tailor made site development.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .