Google is coming to Roanoke today to connect small businesses and organizations to the Internet.

Representatives and affiliates of the search engine provider are scheduled to present a free class in online marketing at the Taubman Museum of Art. Anybody can receive a domain name and site for an existing or in-the-works company, organization or not-for-profit group in “less than 60 minutes,” a flier says.

Promoters, including U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County , are billing the event as a good opportunity for a small company that has never embraced the Web to put up a website quickly. More than 100 people have registered, an event spokesman said.

Presenters from Google and Intuit Websites will cover all steps required to create, build and publish a website using the SiteBuilder from Intuit. In addition, it will cover how to steer attention to the site using “search engine optimization” techniques.

Now to the fine print: After one year, Intuit plans to charge $4.99 a month for the Web hosting and $2 a month for the domain name.

One option is not to pay. However, Andrew Zaleski at technicallybaltimore.com reported last summer that a participant then runs the risk of losing his or her website content. Zaleski quoted a Google official who said it could be difficult or impossible to transfer the content of the free website to the site of another Web hosting service.

Two identical sessions, each two and a half hours, are planned, at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Preregistration is recommended online at www.gybo.com/virginia or by calling 800- 986-6852, but walk-ins will be welcomed. Parking is free to participants at the Tower Garage off Norfolk Avenue.

For those who can’t make it, Google and Intuit will present an online version of the seminar for the next year.

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