We came across this article on the online marketing efforts by small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and wanted to comment on it.  The bottom line is that SMBs and the online marketing industry are still missing each other.  The article makes some good points but we wanted to make an additional observation.

It’s ironic that the two sides are still not connecting because they’re set in their respective ways.  SMBs continue to rely on tried-and-true methods of networking and referrals and do not see the value in online marketing.  Online marketers discount the value of traditional marketing and aren’t reaching the SMBs who aren’t online.

That’s why we try to get out in the community to meet business owners in person.   We don’t try to tell them traditional marketing methods don’t work.  We know they work.  We use those methods ourselves.  However, we’ve also seen how well online marketing can compliment traditional efforts.

Online marketing extends an SMB’s reach by delivering the business’s message to another segment of its target audience.  Best of all, it’s a relatively effortless way of marketing.  After creating an online presence, it’s working 24/7 to inform and attract potential customers without any effort by the business owner.

It all starts with a solid Website.  The site doesn’t need to be flashy to get the message across, just clear and attractive.  Rather than trying relate all of a company’s selling points during face-to-face encounters, a business owner can deliver a simple elevator speech and let the Website do the heavy lifting of supplying the details.  To learn more about how online marketing can help your company, contact us.