The Value of Web Marketing...
October 13, 2005 - By Russ Cuthrell

With unlimited amounts of information, instantaneous communication, and the ability for both large corporations and small home business owners to compete globally, the Internet has undeniably changed how business is conducted. However, one factor remains the same: advertisement. The traditional business plan for a "Brick and Mortar" business typically calls for extensive, and costly, advertising. Not so for the Internet business. Many web designers and webmasters have spent countless hours designing websites that are clever and/or cute with little or no thought put into advertising. Web sites need to advertise and promote themselves to create traffic on their site, to stay in business, and to grow. Just like traditional business, those that do not advertise, are doomed to fail.

What is unique about businesses on the Internet is that a visitor arriving to the web site has no idea how large or small the company may be. In contrast, it's pretty easy to distinguish a big "Brick and Mortar" company from a small one. The larger company has flashier advertising, more square footage, and a much larger inventory. Regardless of true size, an Internet business can project a larger image by promoting their websites successfully. When done properly, advertising allows the small business to compete against much larger companies on the Internet which otherwise would be impossible to compete with as a "Brick and Mortar" company.

No matter how large or small your business is, you need to advertise to stay in business. Unfortunately, traditional advertising methods requires significant captial and manpower. This is exactly why many small businesses fail -- they spend far to much time trying to compete in someone else's back yard. They should rethink their advertising strategy and find a cost-effective and targeted method for locating the right customers.

One such method is to utilize search engines. Search engines are very unique in that the individuals that use them already know what they are looking for so you as a business owner do not have to try to influence their purchase. They are already looking for your product and service and no other advertising method is this focused.

Did I mention that many of the search engines are free? One purchase from a customer that was referred to your web site from a search engine, results in a profit for your business!