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Big News for Small Business -- Internet Marketing Comes of Age
For everyone who believed in the power of the internet, the dot com bust of 2000 was always a short-term phenomenon. Over the last few years, the internet has matured into the most amazing economic and social engine since the dawn of television. In this past holiday season alone, U. S. online sales in November and December registered more than $15 billion ' a whopping 30% increase over a year ago.
Savvy marketers are already taking advantage of the unique power of the internet as an advertising medium. Online advertising is now siphoning money away from traditional media, including local media such as newspaper advertising and yellow pages. And according to advertising analysts, online advertising as a whole is poised to overtake total magazine advertising by 2007. It's a long way from the dotcom bust of a few years ago.
Internet marketing options for small businesses are plentiful ' and this is true whether their market is local, regional, or national. Local businesses, in particular, have opportunities that are frequently overlooked. Because they have a local focus, these businesses can make sure that their website is 'optimized for search' at the local level ' which simply means having their website set up properly, and maintained, so as to take advantage of the fact that Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, AOL, and other search engines make it fairly easy for local businesses to be found on the internet. The 'pay-per-click' opportunities from Google and Overture are also an important tool both for local and national advertisers. A local business in Norwalk, CT, for example, can tailor their Google ads to be seen only by customers in their local region ' and they can track precisely which ad (and which keyword) led a visitor to click through to their website. Want to take it a step further' The advertiser can now track where on their website this visitor goes ' and even what they click on. It's a powerful way to monitor spending and ad dollars ROI (Return on Investment). You can't do that with an ad in your local newspaper.
A good internet marketing plan is now essential for any small business. The plan will be unique to that business, because the choice of internet marketing options virtually demands that the plan be customized. This is a good thing, because a unique internet marketing plan will help the business stand out from the competition. Our http://www.smallbusinessonline.net
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