Dateline: December of 2000
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According to a new study...
It has been discovered that small businesses are setting up websites
primarily to advertise and promote their businesses.
A telephone survey by Verizon was conducted with 800
US companies...
with 50 or fewer employees. The study found that the
number of small businesses establishing a website for promotional
and advertising reasons increased by 123 percent over the
past year. The number of small business websites set up primarily to
provide e-commerce services decreased by 48 %
in the same period!
That's right, even though many large Internet
stores are closing their "virtual doors"...
due to lack of funding (and lack of a profit!), the
smaller business owner can actually use the Internet to make a profit with
24/7, always available, full color ADVERTISING! That's right, no
fancy shopping carts or huge database programs running on expensive
servers costing huge amounts of money every minute they're running!
The survey, which highlighted the benefits...
of having an online presence for small businesses, reported
that over half of the small businesses with a website said their site had already
broken even or paid for itself (actually 55 %)! And 65%
of those businesses believed the Internet will play an vital role in their
future success.
And why not?
Affordable website hosting runs from $14 to $50 dollars a month
and is expandable in stages to meet your needs as your business grows!
Here's a question for you...how much radio or even print
advertising can you get for 50 bucks? What about full page color
ads in the local newspaper? What about TV
spots? How much would it cost to go nation-wide...or even
international! But spend just a fraction of the money for an
informational, educational advertising web site and you've got 24
hour a day, 7 days a
week, 52 weeks out of the year honest
to goodness business promotion!
Now don't get me wrong!
Those other sources of advertising and promotion are very important.
Even a good, web-based promotional effort MUST have offline support
(high search engine placement is difficult to get at best). Get the word
out about your website through offline sources and herd
folks to your site! Network with the right associates. FAQ sheets,
short articles on your product or service that inform and educate
are the domain of the website (no pun intended!).
The survey suggests that small businesses with websites actually
may have an advantage over their competitors through a broader
geographic reach and a better understanding of how the Internet works.
But, even with the obvious success of small firms using the Web,
many have been slow to embrace the Internet with only about
27 % of those polled having a website. What about YOU? Are you
taking advantage of the "always on" promotional
opportunity available to your business? Why aren't you educating your
prospective customers and clients 24 hours of every day
through a well designed, information-packed site?!
Give me a call or contact
me today! Let's discuss some of the many advantages and possibilities
that a web site could have for the growth of your business. My business is
helping YOUR business grow and prosper on the Net! Here's to your
success!
Steve Maurer, Steve Maurer Publications
PS. If you've gotten this far, you have already learned some
important lessons in web design. First, lots of splashy graphics or
special effects aren't the way to keep someone's interest! Give your
prospects what they want...and need. Good, solid information!
PPS. If you are new to Internet Marketing and need some good
advice on how to start an Internet business, download
this free book , written by a friend of mine to help you get a great
start! sdm
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Beat the Dot-Bomb Blues!
