Small Business Owners Are Challenged and Out of Sync With The Market Place – Study Shows

While most small business owners and consumers (63%) turn to the internet first when looking for information to make buying decisions. And 82% use search engines to do so.
 
MILWAUKEE - Nov. 26, 2014 - PRLog -- Only 44% of small business owners have a website. And half spend less than 10% of their marketing budget online. This is according to a survey by Webvisible and Nielsen.

The survey found there is a strong trend toward online media for local search prior to consumers making buying decisions. And  search engines are by far the single most important source for finding local information. The list of top sources for information are:

-          - 82% use search engines (like Google, Yahoo and MSN)

-         -  57% make use of Yellow Pages directories

-          - 53% utilize local newspapers

-         -  49% employ Internet Yellow Pages (such as yellowpages.com or superpages.com)

-          - 49% make use of TV

-          - 38% use direct mail

-          - And 32% utilize White Pages directories

Small businesses are not taking advantage of the growing use of online media for local searches.

And while less than half of all small business owners actually have a website, the ones that do have are not exactly looking to get traffic to it. And they are not happy with their online marketing. Of the small business owners that do have a website:

-          - 51% believe that both the qualty and ability of their site to acquire new clients or customers  is only “fair” or “poor.”

-          - 30% of small business owners feel that they do a better job of marketing  than a close competitor.

-          - 78% of these small business owners believe they advertise in the same places as their competitors.

-          - Just 7% of them say their primary marketing goal is to get more visitors to their website.

-          - 61% of these small business owners spend less than three hours a week marketing their website.

-          - 99% of small business owners are directly involved in marketing.

-          - 65% believe it is very important to know where their customers come from.

-          - Only 9% are satisfied with their online marketing efforts.

-         -  While 78% of small business owners allocate 10% or less of their budget to marketing. And of those, half spend less than 10% of their marketing budget on internet advertising, and 30% do no Internet advertising at all.

All of the above explains why small business owners have - getting clients as their single biggest problem.  According to another study by Wells Fago/ Gallup.

There are generally, four steps in any prospect’s purchase process:

-          - They recognize they have a need.

-          - They decide whether to do something about it or not. (The small business owner’s bggest competitor is the status quo-not taking action at all.)

-          - They evaluate their options. (This is when they start going online for information)

-          - They select a vendor.

If the business sells to other businesses, however, the small business owner or CEO’s purchase process will be different:

-          - They go their current trusted provider.

-          - They ask their network.

-          - They contact a recognized brand

-          - They shop around.

Either way is fine. As long as small business owners  familiarize themselves with the process of their specific buyer. They’ve got to know their prospect’s process backwards and forwards. Once they understand that their prospect is going through a specific process.

They have to match their marketing sales cycle to their prospect’s  buying cycle. If they fail to recognize where their customers or clients-to-be are in the process, their next step will be out of sync, with potentially disastrous results.

And that’s exactly what’s happening to the vast majority of small business owners today. They are out of sync with their clients, as this article shows. And they need to get help fast, before it’s too late. By visiting http://www.smallbusinessmiracle.com

Contact
Clarkson Omovie
clarkson@smallbusinessmiracle.com
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