Internet Marketing Capabilities For Small Businesses

Today research shows that the majority of households in the U.S. use the Internet to get information about local products and services before they shop.  Small business owners are bound to get lost in the competition without the influence of the Internet.

Don’t let the Internet capabilities overwhelm you.  In just a short time you can gain the knowledge needed to getting started.  One of the greatest concerns with having a website is the cost.  This will only depend on the extravagance of what you choose.  If you’re looking for a professional website, it will most likely be on the expensive side.  The good thing is there are many options for creating some low budget online marketing solutions.

First of all, invest time in taking a look at what’s available to you.  Don’t settle for the very first thing that seems like a good idea.  The price of web space can vary immensely, depending on the company you choose.  You will find sites that will host your page for free, but they’ll want you to help out their end of the bargain as well.  This usually means that you’ll be required to post banners or pop-up ads on your site.  Though the free part sounds enticing, it’s not recommended that you use free hosting if you expect to be taken seriously.

There is a popular site called GoDaddy.com, which allows you to register your domain name for about $10 a year.  If you want something more substantial, there are places that will charge $100 a year for site with a decent amount of storage.

As soon as your website is up and running you can think about how to bring in the traffic.  Social networking sites like Squidoo.com or MySpace.com are becoming increasingly popular.  MySpace allows you to set up a free profile when at any time you can send out invitations to your profile.  Take advantage of these sites and the amount of work on your part will decrease.  It is surprising to know how many authors, magazines, bands, retail storeowners and service providers use MySpace for marketing purposes.  Other social marketing systems like chat rooms and message boards are also good ways to get noticed.

At first, you will probably spend about 5 to 10 hours a week to promote your site.  If these numbers don’t seem feasible for your style of business, think about training an employee or intern.  Some of the best experts at social networking sites are teenagers! 

Email is also a great way to market your small business.  Just put your website address in your signature line.  This will also work for message boards of any kind.  Though it may not provide a direct connection, it could open doors to people they know that have an interest in what you do.

Even if you’re experiencing a tight budget, there are many low budget solutions available.  If you can invest time in Internet marketing, that’s all it takes.  Even if you’re the person who never has spare time, you have the option of buying time through sites like rentacoder.com or getafreelancer.com.  Whatever method you choose, Internet marketing capabilities done the right way will greatly influence your small business.