Neustar, Inc., a trusted, neutral provider of real-time information and analysis to Internet, telecommunications, entertainment, advertising and marketing industries, announced a partnership today with the National Small Business Association (NSBA), the nation’s first small-business advocacy group. The Neustar administered top level domain ‘.biz’ has become a preferred domain name extension for many small businesses worldwide (SMBs). In the coming months, Neustar and NSBA will work jointly to help SMBs get online, be found online and grow their revenues through their online investment.

“In today’s world, doing business online is a critical component of any small-business strategy,” said NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “We are pleased to be working with Neustar in connecting small businesses with .biz.”

“Recent research by 1&1 Internet shows that many small businesses still don’t have a website,” added Jim Rogers, vice president marketing, Neustar Enterprise Services. “In fact, 54 percent of businesses with fewer than 10 employees and annual revenues of less than a million dollars do not have a website. With recent studies showing that 85 percent of consumers use the Web before they buy, it is essential for small business owners to have an online presence. “

According to 1&1 Internet, 80 percent of businesses with a website say that having one is “essential.” NSBA—an early adopter of the .biz domain—has partnered with Neustar to spread the word about both the importance of being online to boosts business growth, as well as thinking outside the box of traditional domains.