Show your support for this innovation. Tweet it. Like it on Facebook. Leave a comment.
The following SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity. More about the SMART 100.
MYOB Atlas
This innovation initially came to life when…
In 2009, we decided to find out what was happening inside Australian small businesses that was holding them up from getting online and participating in the digital economy.
We already knew that ‘being found’ and ‘attracting new customers’ were key pain-points for business owners and that effective websites are a great way for a business to put itself in front of potential clients.
Our research showed us that for the majority of SMEs, getting a website was all too hard… too technical, too expensive and too time-consuming.
We decided to change all that.
WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
- Make it quick and easy for a business to build a website, tell their story and engage with new visitors.
- Take away the barriers holding Australian businesses back from building websites and participating in the digital economy.
It does this by…
Features are presented to users only as they’re ready for them and users engage with their website through a simple set of forms supported by detailed contextual help.
PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
Also, traditional tools are not integrated with domain name or web hosting services.
MYOB Atlas is fully integrated with domains and hosting and its lifecycle approach to feature adoption makes it easy for small businesses to become online businesses.
Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…
Atlas helps SMEs:
- Get online: with a simple wizard
- Tell their story: with a gallery and blog
- Be found: through integrated Google tools including search, Maps and Places
- Engage online: with full social network integration
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
- Outsource their website building/maintenance
- Become adept in the intricacies of HTML, CSS, SEO and other scary acronyms!
Outsourcing can be expensive and it means losing control. Even the simplest change required contacting the web developer, if you could find them.
Atlas puts the business owner in control — no baffling buzzwords.
Its predecessors/competitors include…
- Web development companies
- Web content management systems (like WordPress) — which still require technical expertise and don’t specifically help you be found on Google.
- Website builder tools – similar challenges to WordPress.
TARGET MARKET
It is made for…
MYOB Atlas is designed to make it easier for the more than 60% of Australian businesses who don’t have a web presence. In 2011 having a website is as important to a business as having a telephone. At MYOB we’re taking away the barriers so that every business can build and grow their online presence.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
It is available for sale through…
MYOB Atlas is available from http://myob.com.au/atlas and also http://www.gettingbusinessonline.com.au — the first 50,000 Australian businesses get a free .com.au domain name and a free website for 12 months. (It then reverts to $5 per month pay-as-you-go.)
Our marketing strategy is to…
Reach the widest number of businesses through partnering with Google on the Getting Aussie Businesses Online initiative. In 2011 we will provide free websites and .com.au domain names to 50,000 Australian businesses. We know that word-of-mouth recommendation is powerful and expect that earlier adopters will be our best advocates.
SUPPORTING IMAGES
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT…
Voting for the Readers’ Choice Index has concluded, but you can still show your support!
- Tweet it: Top left of each page
- Trigger a Reaction: Facebook ‘Like’, etc.
- Leave a Comment: Anonymous comments excluded*
More about the READERS’ CHOICE INDEX.
