Does your business need a website?

You may be thinking why on Earth do I need email marketing and why do I have to have my business online, let alone have a website presence? The truth of the matter is you’re not alone in your thinking. There are thousands of business owners who feel the same way you do. But let me point you to a recent study that might make you think otherwise.

Will email marketing help your business? A study conducted July 08 revealed some major shifts in the way consumers search for local businesses. According to a study conducted by TMP Directional Marketing the Yellow Pages are no longer the main way consumer search for local business information. This study, a follow-up to a previous study the year before, compared the value of online and offline advertising, such as Yellow Pages, newspaper etc., and the role they played in local searches.

For the first time ever, online search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN were the primary resources of information for local customers.

This means that more local customers are now using the internet to find local merchants and other businesses online. And here is something the study found that is even more important to your business.

The survey also found that a large number of local searches take some type of action. This may come in the form of a phone call, an in-store visit or even an email. This highlights that local searchers are in the final stages of their purchase decision and are almost ready to make a purchase.

So what can you as a business owner learn from this study?

You need to be found on the internet, plain and simple.

Tagged as:  internet marketing · local marketing · online marketing · small business website