Google is the number one search engine in the US with a market share of 65.0%. Yahoo has 19.6% and Microsoft has 8.4% of the market share. Since Yahoo and Microsoft don’t have even 25% of the market share, many advertisers were not willing to work with them. The solution, Microhoo! CNN states, “This deal is really about scale,” said Yahoo Chief Executive Carol Bartz on a conference call. “By combining the … technology of both companies, we can create a real, viable alternative for advertisers.”

What does this mean to small business owners? Additional medium to effectivey advertiser and reach your customers.

Most people these days have more than one phone they are required to return calls from, for example, home phone, cell phone, business phone, business cell phone, ect. To help with this problem, Google has developed Google Voice. “Google Voice is Google’s attempt to remake how we think of the phone. It lets you use one new phone number to tie together your various numbers: cellphone, home phone, business line. Friends call your Google number, and all the other phones ring — you choose which one to answer. Voice mail flows to all of the phones, along with a free transcription by Google.” states Jeffery Graham of USA Today.

Just like most products Google launches, Google Voice is available by invitation only. Because of the limited number of invitations issued by Google thus far, these invitations are being auctioned for as much as $100! What is an alternative if you are a small business owner? Click here to register for your invitation, and with Google releasing up to 10,000 phone numbers in the coming months you won’t have to wait long.