When small businesses get started, their focus is often on how to get their first group of customers through the door. They may rely on traditional forms of advertising, such as print advertising and coupon mailers or large signs on the side of the road. They may believe that since they know that they provide a good product or service, it is only a matter of time until customers find their way to them.

While this strategy can bring in a trickle of business, there is a better and easier way. Small businesses should consider the huge market of online possibilities. No small business, no matter how new, should ignore this huge market.

Benefits of online marketing

The group of potential customers that are found online is a large group of people who are likely to be able to attract you locally. By using digital marketing, you can reach a larger audience that is cost-effective and measurable.

Other benefits of online marketing include:

• Interacting with your prospects and knowing exactly what they are looking for
  Ability to reach a global market
• You can save less money and reach more customers than traditional marketing methods
• Get to know your audience and allow them to get to know you personally which can help build brand loyalty
• You can track responses to your marketing efforts instantly

Are you postponing digital marketing?

Why would you choose to postpone time and effort in digital marketing? Different small business owners may come up with various reasons to avoid this form of marketing, but in the end, procrastination is still dysfunction.

Small businesses sometimes believe they do not have the time or money to be competitive online. They feel that they can only face a lot of challenges at once and they are still learning the ins and outs of trading in general. Many of them may prefer to take things slowly and stick to one or two basic forms of advertising, assuming that their business will develop with the passage of time.

They may also think that the best strategy is simply to wait for customers to show up. Since they are a small business, they may think that they only need very few customers.

This is not an effective approach. There is no guarantee that your business will only attract existing customers and even if it does, you may not attract as many customers as you need to make your business profitable.

• Your Customers Are Online
• Your Competitors Are Online
• Be Accessible to Your Customers
• Let Customers Come to You
• Get to Know Your Target Audience