A prediction by Borrell Associates is that in merely 5 years, small and medium sized business will triple their non advertising online spending. In numeric figures, about 1.63 billion dollars is spent on online marketing that does not include advertising like PPC, Banner ads and the likes. It is also expected that during this same time, offline advertising will diminish to 19% of a marketing budget. With the offline marketing budget sinking this low it is presumed that all the money is going into the internet. But what will businesses be buying online and how will it affect your business?

All Online Spending = Web Marketing for small businesses

For small businesses, non-advertising spending is considered as web marketing as long as it is made online. There is no distinction or allocation on any money spent on the web. Unlike in offline budgeting, the budget is divided into categories like: advertising, building maintenance, PR, marketing and sponsorship. A new bulk of businesses does not distinguish between web related expenditures.

The best way to market online is to explicitly layout your products and services

Measuring the success of online promotional schemes is a task nearly impossible for the ordinary business owner who is used to putting out an ad and waiting for customers to call or walk in the store. This is an indication of the widespread lack of understanding of what really works online. It should be known that in the online world, the user is in complete control. It is a simple but profound truth. Your customers can compare prices, features and plans in seconds. It is literally easier to click away form most pages than to navigate in them. You cannot just sell anyone anything online, they have to want to buy it.

Online, consumers are accustomed to landing exactly on the information they seek and have less patience for anything else. A confusing navigation and irritating shopping carts are simply intolerable for online consumers. This means that money spent on creating a customer buying course or reorganizing your shopping cart process can pay off.

USUALLY, Readers don’t start with the Table of Contents and Shoppers don’t start at the homepage

Most of the time, online visitors enter your website via pages other than the homepage. This means that your main point needs to be clear throughout your website. Regardless of what your business is, people are searching for relevant information. They have a problem and want to know if you can help them solve it. This has always been the trend both online and offline, yet the vast majority of business websites still continue to focus on the aesthetics rather than the explicitness of the site. They usually make visitors jump through hoops to find a contact number.
Now, what do your visitors really want from your site. Sit back and try to ask this question to yourself, and be on the perspective of any ordinary online visitor. Write down the top 5 questions, problems or concerns your customers have. Now write the answers just like you are speaking to a real person. Be specific and substantiate your claims. It can be as follows.

Make sure the content is clear, concise and not full of sales talk. Start with: “A client came to us with ____ and we helped them _____. ” “Our pricing programs are individual and based on _____ , ______, and ______. ” Always include a call to action and whenever possible make it personal. These examples would be: “We would love an opportunity to answer your questions in person, please call 123 456 7899 and ask for Dave Willkey.” Or “Do you have what you need? If not, one of our operators would be happy to help you find the item you are looking for and answer any questions. We look forward to speaking with you, just call 123 456 7899”.

Your customers are simply looking for information online. Make it easy for them to find answers to their questions in your website. The easier it is to navigate in your online site, the better your chances are of standing out from a multitude of other business websites. Do remember that without an effective web presence – your company might not exist.