Today, statistics tell us that 70%-80% of local consumers are using a search engines to start looking for a product, service or support by using a search engine. If you own a small business can you afford to NOT to be found by an audience this large?

The opportunities that are available to those businesses who are found on the first page of the major search engines are phenomenal. If you want your business to be found online then you have two options:

• Use PPC – Pay-Per-Click to drive traffic to your site
• Ensure your search engine ranking is high enough that people find you and click on your listing

Most of the small businesses we deal with have no budget for marketing. They know and understand that advertising and marketing is necessary but simply don’t put this expense into their budget. If you, as a small business owner, were to put together a budget that included a line item for internet marketing I can guarantee that you would not only gain more customers, you would dominate the competition in your local market.

Think about this for a minute. How long does your newspaper ad, radio ad, Val-Pak insertions or any other medium you are using last? It is a very short period of time and you only see a temporary boost in sales. However, if you are working to optimize your search engine listings and people (prospects) are finding you everyday via search engines this lasts for years. Can you see how much more powerful this kind of marketing is? It’s kind of like having a full page ad on the front of the Yellow Pages a few years ago.

A business which has a website that is properly optimized will reap the benefits of lead generation without recurring costs for years to come. If you were to actually spend money advertising the same message — your newspaper, magazine ads and radio commercials would have all been out of print. Which one do you see as more beneficial for your business?

So, just to help you understand exactly what we are are saying:

Search engine optimization alone will give you free traffic, from targeted visitors, who are interested in your products or services.

Ultimately, you should consult with a professional search engine optimization service provider to make the most of your plans. Out of the box though, there are a number of things that you can do to help market your business on the Internet.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Google Local – If you don’t have a Google account you must get a Google Account. If you do have one, then you can submit your business profile and get free promotion.
In order to add or edit your business on Google Local, go to: Add Local Business

You can do the same thing on Local Yahoo and Bing Maps.

Virtual Marketing, LLC is a Colorado based Internet Marketing company that is experienced in all areas of online marketing. You may contact us for a free internet marketing consultation at any time without obligation or pressure.