Your Business and the Internet

The pressure is on those small local business owners who have been holding out, hoping that the Internet would just go away. It’s become fairly obvious that that’s not going to happen.

As a matter of fact, the Kelsey Group says that “…small-business owners/operators reported that their use of the Internet has exceeded that of traditional media. We view this as a critical milestone for the direction of local ad spending.”

It’s become obvious that small business owners who don’t have an Online presence are at a serious disadvantage and are losing more ground every day to their competitors.

But where do you start? Many small business owners want to get online but the idea becomes overwhelming. One of the things many people are concerned about is the cost. Having a professional website created can be expensive, as can the online marketing needed to promote the site. Fortunately, iConcepts Marketing has a variety of online solutions for small businesses.

Our team will evaluate your current web host, domain name, and web site design. If you have spent any time researching the options available, you know that there is a wide variance in quality, costs, and services. There are even some sites that offer free hosting, but those sites usually require you to post advertisements on your site. If you want to maintain a professional image, you definitely do not want to use a free service.

If you know what your hosting service requirements you can find hosting companies that offer reasonable packages that run $10-$15 per month. You can also register your domain name for about $10 per year.

Once you have your website set up, how do you get people to visit? One of the best methods is proper search engine optimization. Another method that has become very popular is use of social networking sites such Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. The problem business run into using social networking sites is they don’t use the proper technique. Social networking for business is totally different than social networking for personal use.

At iConcepts Marketing we understand you prefer to focus on your daily business activities and may find Internet Marketing of your business extremely time consuming and confusing. We utilize proven techniques to improve your online presence with social networking, search engine optimization, email and video marketing, and much more.

Here’s a simple tip that you can implement right away. Include your website address in your email signature block and any posts you make on message boards, blogs, etc. even if they are not related to your business. While this doesn’t market directly to your targeted audience, it does make people aware of your website. Who knows, maybe they’ll know someone who needs your services.

The most important thing to remember is to evaluate your current advertising methods and cut expenses to the outdated methods that are not producing results.

Contact Us to set up a FREE initial consultation.