San Antonio, Texas - (Website Hosting Directory) - February 26, 2008 - Web host and ISP network provider, AT and T Inc., has retooled its online Small Business Resource, adding ‘Web 2.0′ functionality, while enabling greater user interaction.
The website has earned top recognition for its small business online experience, from the Compass Intelligence High-Tech Research Firm. As part of the continued dedication to serving small business customers, AT and T Inc. made the decision to launch of a more robust version of the Onward Small Business Web site, which features new functionality and improved navigation for visitors both in the office and on the road.
Launched in February 2007, the Onward Small Business site (www.att.com/OnwardSmallBiz) recorded its 1 millionth unique visitor last fall, putting the site among the top online destinations for small businesses. The site already offers a variety of free advice and tools geared to small business owners.
Based on feedback from site visitors during the past year, AT and T recently added several Web 2.0 enhancements that enable greater visitor interaction, including the ability to: — Rate, share and tag articles in the News and Insights section. — Recommend customer stories and case studies for inclusion on the site. — Grade Web-based courses offered through the site. — Suggest topics for new online courses. — Listen to site content - news, customer stories, expert advice, AT and T services, etc. - via text-to-speech technology. — Receive customized content from the site based on previous viewing habits.
Ann Rotatori, Vice President of Business Marketing for AT and T noted, ”More than ever before, small businesses are conducting activities and accessing the Internet while they’re away from the office or on the road. As a result, developing a mobile-compliant version of our Onward Small Business site to ease access and navigation via mobile phones and other hand-held wireless devices was a priority.”
In addition, feedback from site visitors led AT and T to redesign site graphics and add a tutorial to help small businesses maximize available resources. The site also features simpler and more consistent navigation, including optimizing to ensure compliance for viewing on smartphones and other mobile communications devices.
Nelson Toro, IT manager for Associated Research, a small manufacturing firm in Lake Forest, Ill. added, ”The AT and T site provides access to information for helping businesses be more productive, which is important because I’m not knowledgeable in all aspects of business. The new site also is easier to navigate, requiring fewer clicks to get to the information I need. And the new color scheme makes it easier to determine which information is most relevant and important for me.”
Kneko Burney, President of Compass Intelligence, a telecom and high-tech research firm remarked, ”AT and T continues to raise the bar when it comes to providing free online resources to small businesses. The company’s commitment to serve small business customers with tailored content and resources, and now with improved navigation, further strengthens AT and T’s position as a leader in online experience for the small business market.”
A February 2008 report by Compass Intelligence ranks AT and T’s retooled site as No. 1 among telecommunications providers for small businesses. Last year, Compass Intelligence ranked the Onward Small Business site as the best in the telecom industry and among the top four online sites overall for small businesses.
Mr. Rotatori added, ”We’ve listened to our small business customers and, as a result, have enhanced site navigation and added new Web 2.0 functionality. The result is an online resource for small businesses that is unmatched among telecommunications providers. We’re proud to offer the most comprehensive set of communications services available to small businesses, and, most important, we’re committed to helping them move their business onward to greater success.”
The site continues to offer topics of interest for a more personalized online experience, including: — Free instructional Web-based seminars and training courses hosted by experts. — Tips on starting, managing and relocating a small business from a variety of experts and sources. — A daily feed of small business news, including streaming video segments from SBTV.com - Small Business Television. — An online discussion feature, The Watercooler, for small businesses to share experiences. — The ability to submit questions and to receive one-on-one advice from SCORE Counselors to America’s Small Business.
The AT and T Onward Small Business site complements AT and T’s industry-leading portfolio of communications products and services for small businesses. This portfolio includes voice, broadband Internet, messaging, wireless and advertising and search-engine-marketing solutions through AT and T Real Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM. Other solutions include business e-mail services, Wi-Fi service, web hosting, Unified Messaging, remote data storage, network security, data transport and other Internet Protocol-based services designed for the unique needs of small and midsize businesses.
AT and T Inc. is one of the world’s largest telecommunications holding companies and is the largest in the United States. Operating globally under the AT and T brand, AT and T companies are recognized as the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications services to business and as leading U.S. providers of high speed Internet, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising services. AT and T Inc. holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which is the No. 1 U.S. wireless services provider with 55.8 million wireless customers.
To learn more about AT and T Onward Small Business , please visit: www.att.com/onwardsmallbiz.
For more information on AT and T hosting services, please visit: www.business.att.com/hosting.
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