Microsoft Office Live Small Business Suite David Pogue in his New York Times column this week reviews the new Microsoft Office Live Small Business suite. He first notes:
Half the small businesses in America, and 70 percent of one-person businesses, don’t even have Web sites. Obviously, the percentage that exploits Internet marketing tools like e-mail newsletters, search engine ads and online stores is even lower.
The immediately brings to mind all the mom and pop and small tableware companies. For them, I initially thought this suite may be a good fit. However, upon review of the sample websites provided in the article, I see that there is a problems with this service. Namely: bad design is bad design, whether you get it for free or not. Most business owners do not have the know-how to design a web site, lay out information, make the site Google friendly, nor compose pictures for the web. There are millions of factors that make a website work, and to put up a lackluster site may in the end just bring more disappointment and frustration. The equivalent would be offering someone a kit to build a car. Sure, you can do it, but do you really want to?
What I do like about the service rather than the website tool is the e-mail marketing tool. Pogue writes:
Office Live offers an easy-to-use e-mail marketing system that includes newsletter design and address database. You can also track the results of your e-mail initiatives: how many people opened your mail, as well as how many clicked a link in it. Microsoft even does the e-mail sending for you, so your e-mail won’t get blocked by your own Internet provider as spam. That’s all free during the current testing phase, but Microsoft will charge a monthly fee after that.
I do wish to know for my clients how many people opened an e-mail or did not see it because it was blocked. I do sell a tool to clients that can do this, but it's not free...Microsoft just hurt one small business.