Google offers premium 1-year GoMo subscription at no charge, hopes to lead mobile advertising

Élyse Betters | Apr 5 2012 - 8:54 am PT

Google expanded its GoMo initiative to offer small businesses an opportunity to mobilize their websites for free.

According to Fortune, the Mountain View, Calif.-based search engine teamed with startup Duda Mobile to offer the $9 per month service at no cost for an entire year starting today. Users will save $108 a year, and then they can purchase the premium service after the complimentary period ends—if desired.

In a blog post, Duda Mobile’s Dennis Mink explained the collaboration:

Our hope is that by offering both the education AND the service at no cost for one year, we can help businesses make the shift to mobile more quickly, benefiting both their business as well as us consumers who no longer want to pinch and zoom our way through their regular websites on our phones.

Google originally launched the GoMo initiative last fall to ensure dominance in the mobile advertising space as mobile websites continue to become more popular. Google also unveiled a Google Mobile Ads website and announced two webinars earlier this week for those interested in learning more. Google even provided a list of developers to help users construct their immersive mobile websites.

Duda Mobile, founded in 2009 in Google’s hometown, is the brains behind a do-it-yourself mobile website publishing tool. The firm is nearing 1.5 million mobile websites; it also offers a private-label solution for partners like Webs.com and AT&T Interactive. Many notables back the startup, including Audible founder Don Katz, and Stubhub founder Jeff Fluhr.

Check out Google and Duda Mobile’s partnership now and start building a free mobile website today. The United Kingdom currently does not have access to the deal with its GetMo counterpart.