Get your free website and hosting from Google

Local businesses can get a free website and hosting with a new programme from the Westmeath County Enterprise Board. Day one of the programme will see participants develop and maintain a basic website for their businesses using a free service from Google and Blacknight. They will learn the basics of effective website design and image optimisation for the internet. Subjects such as social media and how to be found by search engines will be reviewed on day one and covered in more detail on day two of the programme, the date of which is to be announced. This programme is delivered using an online free tool www.gettingbusinessonline.ie. The .ie domain is free until August 9. .eu, or .com is also free for the first year. All attendees should apply for their domain name using this website, in advance of the programme. This course is more suited for a non-technical audience with little or no experience of building a site for their business. Participants need to be comfortable using both computers and the internet and will need to have access to broadband to maintain and develop their site afterwards. This course is suitable for individuals in the process of starting a business (business must be registered with the Companies Registrations Office, www.cro.ie) or owner-managers/key staff members of existing businesses which are based in county Westmeath but do not yet have a website. You must go ahead and register the domain name for which you plan to use on the training day at booking stage. This training will be followed by a second day later in the year to go into website optimization etc. in more detail. The course will be held at Athlone Education Centre from 9.30am to 1pm on August 9. You can book online at www.westmeath-enterprise.ie and the course will cost €25.