According to Bill Murphy, managing director of BT Business, the programme is designed to offer SMBs the opportunity to use skills and tools required to run successful search campaigns that previously have been "out of reach for the vast majority".

 

This is to allow them to more fully take advantage of the "rapidly growing market" that is search advertising "at a price they can afford", he went on.

 

The move to provide SMBs with a cost-effective service that helps them market themselves better on the web followed predictions from IMG in 2008 that 25 per cent - or £78 billion - of retail spend in the UK would be coming from online sales.

 

Under the new plans, companies will be offered a website audit and advice on keyword targeting, as well as relating to on-site optimisation. Pay-per-click can also be built and managed by the service.

 

Last month, figures from eMarketer indicated that an increased number of people are making purchases over the web, with 72.5 per cent of those aged over 14 expected to buy an item from an online site.