Those who are running and marketing small businesses are in competition with national chains that have a larger marketing budget and are therefore able to cast a wider net in terms of advertising. The digital age in which we currently live makes small businesses increasingly more likely to be successful amongst the competition.

Online marketing practices are a necessity for marketing small businesses and increasing prominence, customer retention, and company profits.

This article from CIO.com offers some insight into the challenges small business may face when marketing themselves online, saying:

“Today, businesses have more ways — and places — than ever to market themselves. But deciding on a marketing method, particularly when you are a small or even a mid-sized business with a small budget and limited resources, can be difficult.”

But, of course, when there’s a will there’s a way. For example, when marketing online, small business can use these two things to their advantage.

Customers Are Online

Creating an online presence is the quickest, most cost-effective method for reaching large numbers of potential customers, no matter what demographic they may be included in. Think about your own personal internet-related habits when considering purchasing products or services from a new company. You may Google the company’s address, seek out customer reviews to weigh the quality, or check their Facebook pages for promotions. Most Americans make social media and other web activity a main part of their average day. If a small business chooses to market itself on commonly visited places online, they are almost guaranteed to increase their customer traffic.

Competitors Are Online

Consumers are spending their time online and therefore, so are the competitors of small businesses. It is more than likely for a large nationally recognized company to have a website and a strong online presence. Internet users are consistently exposed to online advertising by such companies, and if small business owners want to compete they need to level the playing field by creating an online marketing strategy of their own.

For more information on the benefits of online marketing and how to integrate such marketing into your small business plan, contact us today.

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