Why UK Small Businesses Havn't Embraced Internet Marketing

Online, April 10, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Richard Trussler, an SEO Consultant in Essex said "5 Billion Local Searches are carried out in Google every month. These searches are from people looking for products and services in their local area and small business are losing out on potential customers and clients".

Trussler continues, "From our discussions with Local Small Businesses, it has become apparent that unlike the US, where the smaller companies have exploited and embraced the internet for their marketing, UK Companies are still very much on the fence. We feel that this is due to many of the smaller UK companies creating their own site with a free online Web Site Builder, or having the one of the neighbours children who is 'into computers and the internet' design a site for them. Whilst they may have created a great looking site, have they applied the required local business research to ensure that it appears in search engines. If not then the chances of the company actually achieving any results from their website will be remote".

When asked why small businesses in the UK haven't adopted Internet Marketing more freely, Richard Trussler replied. "The answer is pretty straight forward and I feel comes in three parts. Firstly many business owners do not truly understand the internet. Many of them still think that it's a complete waste of time because they haven't seen the results they expected from their existing sites. Secondly I think there is, as always, there is an issue with trust. There are hundreds of so called SEO companies cold calling small businesses within the UK offering Page 1 results in Google, and in some cases they actually tell them that they work for Google or are Affiliated to them in some way. This is not the case - Google doesn't need to be affiliated with anyone. Third and finally, but which may be the most important, comes down to cost. SEO on first appearance may seem to be quite expensive, however the benefits and the results produced are generally much better than traditional forms of marketing such as newspapers, directories, flyers etc and by the time small businesses look at how much they pay for advertising and the results that have been achieved from these media, the SEO Cost seems like a much more appealing option".
"People who run businesses, have really got to look at their own routines when looking for products and services for themselves".

Richard continued. "The chances are, that for whatever they are looking for their first port of call will be a search engine. Once the UK Business owners realise that if they are using the internet to find products and services, so are tens of thousands of other people every day".

Whilst internet marketing can generate highly targeted leads for any UK Business, there must always be transitional period. No business should instantly stop their current marketing. Nor should they ever contemplate stopping a particular marketing campaign that has generated good results.

"Tracking your marketing campaigns, either traditional or internet based is extremely important" Trussler exclaimed, "We find so many businesses that don't know which campaign(s) are working for them. As a small business marketing consultant knowing the results of what is working and what's not working is an extremely valuable tool and can save a huge amount of time in getting successful marketing campaigns running for clients".

Small Business Owners in the UK must really start to be involved with Internet Marketing. The UK always tends to be a couple of years behind the trend when it comes to the internet. It really is time to push forward. There are some truly superb Online Marketing consultants in the UK who offer professional services for Small Businesses.
If you are a small business owner, and are looking for an Online Marketing Consultant, here are some things that you should check out before choosing a company:

1. Make sure that they don't just do Search Engine Optimisation - SEO isn't the be all and end all.
2. Always make sure that you feel you can work with the consultant.
3. Ensure that they have experience with Running a Successful small business themselves
4. Ask to see Real results - not just screen shots. Actual real time results.
5. Be Honest with the Marketing Consultant - Don't make your business out to be bigger or more productive than it really is.

Marketing is always thought as being a dark art by many people. In reality this couldn't be further than the truth. You must open your eyes. There will always be successful campaigns and failures. Get opinions from friends and family outside you business and find out what they like and dislike. Never try to use the styling of the larger companies as they utilise their branding and already built level of consumer trust to continue their success. You must stand out from the crowd to become a leader in your field and dominate your local area.