Websites that save you money

19 December 2009, Real Business

Real Business has scoured the web to bring you our pick of the top websites to save you money. Today: a free conference calling service, an e-outsourcer and free analytics from Google.

Powwownow, the Richmond-based free conference-calling service, is run by entrepreneur Andy Pearce - who claims to have saved 101,597 customers £21m on conference calls. It's a cinch to use. You just enter your email address, generate a pin number, then share this with all the people who you want to be in on the call. "It's brilliant," says Simon Campbell, chief executive of ViaPost. "There are no bills, no fees, no contracts. It's saved me lots of money because everyone just pays for their own calls." Check it out: Powwownow.co.uk

Elance - If you need some basic research, a virtual PA or website programming, Elance.com is a good place to get low-cost providers to do it for you. It works a bit like eBay, but for services rather than goods. "You need to be specific about what you want and choose providers carefully but it is a great way for small companies to get offshore work cheaply," says Matthew Stibbe, founder of Articulate Marketing. "I found a WordPress specialist in Kiev who added an interactive map to my flying blog, www.GolfHotelWhiskey.com, for under $200. It would have taken me a week or more to do it myself." Check it out: Elance.com

Google Analytics - It doesn't cost a bean but tells you everything you need to know about visitors to your website. "I use this on all the sites I manage and I was able to save one client more than £5,000 a year by switching from their expensive analytics software to Google’s free alternative," says Articulate Marketing's Stibbe. Google.com/analytics