==== ==== Please check out The Local Marketing Institute for great tips on Local Marketing for Profit. www.bestlocalmarketingpractices.com ==== ====
How can local business owners profit with local search marketing? 1. Education - First and foremost, local business owners must understand the importance of local online marketing. That's what we are doing here! 2. Strategy - Business owners must develop a strategy based upon their current online positioning, their local market, and what makes most sense for their specific industry. Brainstorming potential strategies with other business owners currently successful with local marketing and/or those with insight into the process is the best way to quick-start the process and get on the correct track. 3. Commitment - The initial time required is flexible according to the needs of the specific business owner. Ideally, an owner should commit 2 to four hours per week in the beginning. If that is not possible, there is no harm in spreading the work across longer periods of time. What is most important is that the business owner recognizes their business' need for local search marketing and begins taking steps in that process. After the initial online marketing steps are taken, simply maintaining that online presence requires very little time each month. 4. Budget - I saved the best part for last! Never before has there been so much marketing opportunity for so little expense! Depending on the strategy, typical costs involve the purchase of a domain or two (around $10 a year), a hosting account or two ($3 to $10 per month), perhaps some graphic design work (example: $35 for a professional web site banner)....it really is just this inexpensive! Compare those costs to a typical Yellow Page ad! My 5 Year Prediction The writing on the wall seems clear. Although Yellow Page advertising has played a key role in small business marketing, its end is rapidly approaching. I predict "phone books" as we know them may be optional and upon request within 3 years. In just 5 years, they will be all but extinct in many areas. We all agree that the Internet can be a huge asset for local business marketing. However, we are only witnessing the tip of the iceberg today. Soon, with ever increasing access to the Internet via countless devices, online search will become the norm. Marketing online will be as mainstream and necessary as the "old school" methods have been in the past. It's very simple really. Those businesses who understand and prepare for the demise of the Yellow Pages will survive. Not only will they survive, their profits will rise as free online marketing continues to increase in popularity.
Is your business positioned to benefit during this transition?
Find more information and tutorials about Local Search Marketing on Steve Weber's site.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Weber
==== ==== Please check out The Local Marketing Institute for great tips on Local Marketing for Profit. www.bestlocalmarketingpractices.com ==== ====