20-09-2007
Small firms urged to consider web presence
News from Simply Business, specialists in business insurance and finance for SMEs.
Small businesses who wish to expand their position in the market must have some kind of online presence, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has stated.
Almost no matter what kind of business it is, or what scale it is on, a web presence is crucial, said a spokesperson from the bureau.
However, many small businesses do not fully comprehend how best to go about establishing themselves on the web in a manner that will attract more business, IAB spokesperson Amy Kean said.
She stated: "We would state that it is essential to ensure that you have at least a basic web presence - basic in terms of at least giving the core information your customers will need to know about your business - in order to grow your audience.
"In July, £4 billion was spent by consumers online, who are now using the internet as first port of call to research, compare and buy products."
Strategies like email marketing can be overused by companies, though classified advertising has proved popular with small companies of late, she added.
Social networking sites can be a good place to advertise, but need to be understood before taking the plunge, Ms Kean continued.
A full 32 per cent of companies have stated that their return on email marketing is five times their entire marketing budget, according to Interact, the small business service established by the Direct Marketing Association.
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