Web Site Design and Hosting Made Easy and Affordable

NEW YORK - By 2006, the number of small businesses hanging out a shingle in cyberspace with their own Web sites is expected to grow by almost 90 percent, according to research firm IDC. But an overwhelming majority of small businesses polled in another recent survey said they don't have the technical know-how to build their own Web site and keep it up and running round-the-clock.

To help businesses design, build and maintain a unique Web site, Verizon Online now offers Web site tools that enable businesses to create and put a new customized site online in less than a week. Additionally, customers can update their site anytime without incurring charges for every change and without needing to know computer-programming languages. Verizon Online's new easy-to-use Web site tools can save businesses money.

"The Internet is a powerful way for small businesses to increase their visibility, extend their reach to new customers and easily sell their products or services," said Anthony Price, vice president, Verizon Advanced Services. "Our new Web site packages offer small businesses several advantages over other Web site services, such as an easy way to customize their site and the ability to do their own updates at their convenience, at no extra charge. Best of all, Verizon will host the site and run it 24x7, freeing up small-business owners to focus on doing what they do best."

Small and mid-sized businesses have a choice of four Web site packages with monthly rates beginning at $34.95 a month. Each package comes complete with the essential tools for creating and promoting a Web site, including:

• Web site registration assistance for the company with up to five Internet search engines;

• multiple email accounts (yourname@yourcompany.com)

• more than 150 professionally designed, customizable do-it-yourself page templates for plugging in customer-specific information;

• built-in counters to track customer visits and see which parts of the site are most popular;

• the ability to build an e-mail database enabling the business to stay in contact with customers and Web site visitors;

• and the ability to add features such as sound, video, weather.

Verizon Online also offers packages for businesses that want to sell products or schedule appointments online.

Customers can make unlimited edits and updates in plain English, without incurring any additional charges. The Web site tools include "point and click" technology that translates the changes into digital code to be read online.

Businesses needing extra help getting started can use Verizon Online's professional Web designers to help build their Web site. For a limited time, Verizon Online will design a five-page Web site for $99.

"Having a Web site is just the first step in bringing the world to your business' door. Businesses must continuously update their sites. That's why we've made it easy and inexpensive for our customers to add, eliminate or update information at their convenience, without having to learn computer code like HTML," Price said.

Small and mid-sized businesses looking for more information on Verizon Online's new Web site-building tools and Web hosting can call 1-888-649-9500 or check online at http://biz.verizon.net/.

Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with 135.1 million access line equivalents and 30.3 million Verizon Wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. With more than $67 billion in annual revenues and approximately 241,000 employees, Verizon's global presence extends to more than 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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