We live in the era of the virtual client. The Internet has become a common medium for researching and purchasing goods and services. As people spend more time on the Internet, the need for online marketing for small businesses continues to grow.

Nowadays, most of the companies rely not only on traditional marketing but also on online marketing methods. Many of the traditional marketing methods that worked for local small businesses in the past may not attract customers or generate profits in today’s social media dominated environment. One of the biggest indicators of this growing trend in local search is activity on Google maps. Google saw the rapid rise in consumers searching for local businesses online and created the Google local map to meet their needs.

Internet Marketing is Essential for Small Businesses to Succeed

In this competitive world, internet marketing is essential for a small business to be successful. Help small businesses to be more competitive and visible in the virtual world. With Internet marketing, small business owners have a better chance of competing with larger companies that have traditionally dominated local markets.

Consider these top three benefits of marketing your business on the Internet:

1. Reach your audience effectively and affordably.

The Internet has become an integral part of the consumer buying practice as more customers search for products and services online. Finding customers through print media, direct marketing, or live broadcasts can be an expensive and time-consuming process. A small business with an online presence makes it easy for customers to become familiar with the company’s offerings from the comfort of their home or office.

Also, internet marketing is cost effective as compared to expensive means of marketing and advertising through traditional methods. Most online marketing methods are very affordable and many cost nothing. Those that have higher costs can still have a significant ROI (return on investment), as they are generally “pay for performance” models. This means that you only pay when a customer buys or takes some other action.

2. Get 24/7 visibility

Another cool aspect of internet marketing is giving your small businesses 24-hour visibility. The Internet can keep your marketing campaign going non-stop and reaching a larger, even global audience. Consumers can get information about your products or services no matter what time it is or where they are in the world.

3. Choose from a wide variety of ways to market your business.

There are a plethora of options available to you when you are trading online. You can market through email, blogs, audio, video, social media, online communities, articles, and newsletters. Companies can also use search engine optimization; social media marketing, local search optimization, link building, responsive sites, press releases, webinars, etc.

Choose the Right Internet Marketing Options for Your Business

The success of your Internet marketing program depends on your ability to use the power of the Internet. The most important decision you can make is a strategic one and it can determine the success or failure of your internet marketing efforts. That decision is the answer to this question: “What mix of e-marketing activities should I choose for my business?”

To have the best chance of success, your choice of Internet marketing activities should be based on specific analytical information about your business and your customers.

Keep these important points in mind as you develop your e-marketing strategy:

1. Take a good look at your company profile. Write down all the information about your company offers, your physical presence and your current marketing activities.
2. Look at your customer profile, demographics, and psychographics of your buyer. Use this information to deeply study your buyers. This will help you focus on your customers, understand their problems, and define messages that explain how your products can help them.
3. Take a look at all the e-marketing options and channels that are available to you. Understand how each can help you position your business so that it can be easily found by those looking for what you have to offer.
4. Identify your time and resource constraints. Be realistic about how much time you or your staff can spend working on your Internet marketing activities. This will help you choose which channels make sense to work on.

Your E-Marketing Sweet Spot

Use this information to find what we call your “E-Marketing Sweet Spot.” This is the unique combination of online communication tools that allows you to deliver your message to your customer and give them the best chance of success.

Whether you’re a small business owner or an entrepreneur, you can develop and create a complete e-marketing program for your business. Having a well thought out strategy means you have a much better chance of reaping the benefits of a targeted online marketing program.

To learn more about building a strong online marketing program for your small business, visit us at emarketing101how.com/virtual.