Small Business Balancing Act

Running a small business is tough. There are only so many hours in a day and it seems like there is always another job, or task to get done. It's a balancing act between doing what must be done, taking care of what needs to be done and worrying about what should be done.
One area that many businesses struggle is advertising. Historically advertising has been an insular community of a few players that controlled radio, TV and newspapers. These media outlets typically charge you an upfront fee or a CPM and it was, and is, expensive. Small businesses really didn't have that much access to advertising primarily because of the cost. If they did do advertising it was in smaller neighborhood newspapers, late night radio or TV or classified advertising. Things are changing and the internet is responsible.

Online advertising has been changing in last couple of years with a specific focus that has shifted from the pure play ecommerce players to more locally based retail, brick and mortar stores. Some people like to call this "clicks to bricks", "web to store" or "multi-channel marketing". Whatever you call it, significant research has been done that suggests that the typical internet user is actively searching for products and services that are available in their local area.
eMarketer estimates that in the next 4 years the CAGR (compound annual growth rate) for internet influenced purchases is going to be 19%. Similarly Forrester estimates that 16% of all retail transactions are directly influenced by online research.
So what does this mean to the average drycleaner, mechanic or landscaper? Go online and get new customers. Online advertising is by far the least expensive advertising medium out there, so it's easy to test. The real beauty of it is that you are in control and you only pay for performance. What I mean by performance is that you are only paying for advertising that actually drives potential customers to your website.
How great is that? When was the last time Yellow Pages, your newspaper or your local radio station said…how bout we don’t charge you anything for advertising until it actually starts working.

The short term changes that companies can make to their advertising is by creating a $300 test. Don't let anybody fool you into thinking you have to spend a fortune. And then on the backend, if you work with us, we will give you precise details on how the advertising is working.
I invite you to give me a call to get some information on advertising online. We’re knowledgeable, low pressure, and information focused, so you can make the right decision for your business.

bjames@bridgeworksadvertising.com