Click to Play

How Net Neutrality Affects Search..
Although network neutrality is an issue that could affect everyone, it seems that people are either not concerned or simply unaware of its potential. One industry that seems...

Recent Articles

Why Should Small Businesses Blog?
Seth Godin and Tom Peters talk about the power of blogging at the Open Forum. Peters says it's the best marketing tool by a long shot. HubSpot says there are 6 fundamental benefits to corporate blogging that...

Social Media Is Still Evolving As A Business Tool
I was relieved to see the following reaction from the first day's crowd when PubCon's Brett Tabke asked if people had seen an increase in their business and about 50% of the crowd raised their hands. When asked if they...

Don't Abandon Your Facebook Fan Page
If you're a business creating a profile on Facebook and decide you want to add a fan page to the mix, there are several very big "don'ts" you need to watch out for. Contrary to what you might think, its not enough to slap your logo in the picture area, add some info...

Solidifying The Final Stages Of A Website
Sales people talk a lot about about "closing the deal", the final stage in the sales process needed to get people to sign on the dotted line. Typically, the stages leading up to the "close" are affordability, no...

The Answer To The Bailout Crisis Is Search Marketing
It's another week of uncertainty and the wide variety of prognostications about the financial "meltdown" or "crisis" or "Armageddon" or whatever it is you want to call it. Is it the end of the world as we know it?

12.17.08

Small Businesses Are Still Losing On Online Marketing

By Rene LeMerle

A new study out by Microsoft AdCenter confirms it - small business are still missing the mark when it comes to the potential of online.

It appears a large proportion of small business owners are still stuck in the "build it and they will come" mentality. The study highlights that most small businesses have developed websites, but have done little more to enhance their online business presence.

According to the report, over 59% of small business owners who own websites don't use paid search marketing, and of those, a whopping 90% have never tried it.

Maybe this statistic tells the real story. Apparently

…seven in 10 small-business owners who participated revealed that they would rather try to do their own taxes than start a paid search marketing campaign.

The survey cited cost, time and complexity, three common misconceptions about paid search, for the poor adoption.

Nearly nine in 10 (89 percent) feared keywords may become too expensive.

Eighty-one percent questioned if paid search marketing is the best use of their marketing budgets.

One quarter of respondents believe paid search marketing is too complex.

Twenty-one percent thought it would be too time-consuming.

Thirty-five percent felt they would need an agency to help set up a search marketing campaign.

From credit, debit, gift cards, checks and
more, give your customers the payment
options they demand. Click here

While the report is based on a survey of only 400 small businesses in the US (hardly a representative sample size), the trends and responses are all too familiar. Seems the majority of the small business sector still doesn't understand the real value of online.

I mean, who really prefers doing their taxes over anything… Small Business - what's it going to take for you to 'see the light'?

Comments

About the Author:
Rene is the marketing manager of ineedhits.com - a global search engine marketing company. He also leads the marketing for Gooruze.com - a web 2.0 style community for online and digital marketers. Rene has been in the industry since 1997 with much of that time spent helping businesses embrace the best of the internet and digital world.
About SmallWebBusiness
The latest tips and trends for the small web business.





SmallWebBusiness is brought to you by:

WebProNews.com Jayde.com
MarketingNewz.com SalesNewz.com
CareerNewz.com InvestNewz.com
eCommNewz.com WebsiteNotes.com
AdvertisingDay.com ManagerNewz.com
SoHoDay.com CRMNewz.com





-- SmallWebBusiness is an iEntry, Inc. publication --
iEntry, Inc. 2549 Richmond Rd. Lexington KY, 40509
2008 iEntry, Inc. All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy Legal

archives | advertising info | news headlines | free newsletters | comments/feedback | submit article



Small Web Business News Archives About Us Feedback SmallWebBusiness Home Page About Article Archive News Downloads WebProWorld Forums Jayde iEntry Advertise Contact