Intuit's Web Tool: Not as Easy as It Seems

Bean-counting powerhouse Intuit(INTU Quote) is prospecting for Web development gold.

Big companies are bending over backward to serve smaller ones: Monsters like Google(GOOG Quote), Microsoft(MSFT Quote) and IBM(IBM Quote) are offering full lines of small-business products. Basic website development is near the top of the list. With 20-million-plus small businesses out there, even a couple of bucks from each makes for a nice piece of bread. Even accounting heavyweight Intuit is jumping into the Web-development fray.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based accounting and business software company bought startup Homestead for roughly $170 million in 2007. Intuit made Homestead founder Justin Kitch its chief growth officer. ...