Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Have a Website
This blog entry was posted on November 19, 2009.
In the last 10 years, what works and what doesn’t work in marketing has completely changed. Traditional marketing with newspapers and print yellow pages no longer is effective. Yet most small businesses have failed to convert over to Internet marketing. This is according to a 2009 study.
- 63% of consumers and small business owners turn to the Internet first for information about local companies
- Only 44% of small businesses have a website.
- Those with a website spend less than 10% of their marketing budget online.
Source: 2009 Report from WebVisible and Nielsen Online
The study shows a clear need for small businesses to be online, yet 56% of small businesses aren’t. Why do most small businesses fail to market themselves on the web? What is holding them back?
- Too busy: Small business owners wear many hats and don’t have time to focus on learning a new method of marketing. They spend their entire day keeping their business running. After all they are the expert in their business.
- Lack skills: Internet marketing is a new technology for most business owners. The Internet changes at light speed. Younger business owners have an advantage here because they have been around computers and the Internet for most of their life.
- Confusion: There is so much information, misinformation and opinions out there. If the experts can’t agree, how can an inexperienced novice succeed? It is hard to get a grasp on things.
- Fear: People are afraid of what they don’t understand. Afraid of looking foolish. Afraid of presenting a poor image using an unfamiliar technology. Afraid of being taken advantage of. Afraid of running afoul of the CAN-SPAM act. It can be tough jumping in where you don’t know the rules.
What to do? As a business owner you don’t need to become an Internet marketing expert. The basic marketing principles are the same ones that have worked for decades. It is just applied to a new technology.
Instead, start by learning the basics and how the strategies work. Then hire someone to do the technical work. This could be an employee or a web marketing firm.
If You Like this posting please +1 it!
Related posts:
- Should a Small Businesses Blog?
- Why do local businesses need a website?
- BLIF Marketing: Zero Cost Small Business Marketing
- Top 10 services businesses are searching for…
- How Should Businesses use Blogging?
Filed under: Internet Marketing
This entry was posted on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 2:16 am and is filed under Internet Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.No Comments
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post. | TrackBack URL
