There was a time when all you had to do was get an ad in the Yellow Pages, hand out some flyers, and your local marketing was good to go. Not anymore. These days, you also need to promote your business on the Internet. And boy is that confusing… where do you begin?

Well at the beginning of course. And I don’t mean just having a website. I mean getting your business listed with the local search engines and online directories. Why? Because this is how today’s consumers search the Internet to find local businesses like yours.

Get started by making sure your business is listed with the following:

• Major Search Engines: I’m talking about  Google, Yahoo, and Bing local search. Each lets you submit your business information so that you show up in their local search results. And you’ll also show up in online maps (e.g., Google Maps and MapQuest).

• Online Yellow Pages: Yes, it’s the online version of the tried and true Yellow Pages. These online directories generate millions of visitors every day looking for local businesses. Check out YellowPages.com, Yellowbook, and SuperPages.

• Local Search Engines: These search engines include Local.com, LocalPages, and GenieKnows. Each focuses on generating search results and user reviews of local services and products.

• Local Directories. There are a number of local directories that focus on helping businesses get more exposure on the Internet. How about MerchantCircle, InsiderPages, and Best of the Web Local? Definitely worth considering.

• City Guides: These websites are more about “what’s great” and “what to do” in your local area, and user reviews and popularity are important factors in determining which businesses get the most attention. Yelp and Citysearch are good examples.

It’s easy and (mostly) free to get your business listed. Just click on the “List Your Business”, “Add Your Business”, or a similar link to get the process started when visiting one of these sites. Of course, there are quite a few local search and online directories to list with. So you may instead want to use services such as Universal Business Listing, iBegin.com, and Localeze. They’ll do the submitting for you at little or no cost… plus save you a ton of time!

When submitting your business information, don’t forget to include the same descriptive keywords and compelling copy that you use on your website. For example, what you do and where you do it… such as “accountant, San Francisco”. This will improve the chances of your business showing up in the right search results and sending qualified prospects to your website.

What if you don’t have a website? Then start with the Online Yellow Pages, Local Directories, and City Guides. They’ll create a business listing for you that’ll include the name and description of your business, phone number, and street address. And if you’re willing to pay ($25 to $50 per month), you can also add photos, special offers, and more!

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get the phones ringing!

Not every prospect is just like you… but it’s your job to predict what they need and when they’ll need it. Not to mention, figuring out how best to reach and influence them with your online advertising. So start putting in the hard work of seeing the world through their eyes… because online advertising success begins with knowing your target audience!

To better profile your target audience:

1. Think about why they buy… and why now. You need to understand your prospect’s purchasing behavior and answer the question: “what are their pain points?” Or said another way, what’s causing the desire for your product and what creates the urgency to buy now?

2. Describe your target customer in as much detail as possible. Create a demographic profile using age, gender, income level, etc. And find out where they live, since targeting your advertising geographically is an efficient and effective way to reach your prospects.

3. Understand what they like and don’t like. Psychographics tries to get at the lifestyles, attitudes, interests, and values of your target audience. It’s definitely worth considering since the Internet has so many great lifestyle and interest-based sites to advertise on.

4. Now determine where and how to reach them with your online advertising. What websites and blogs do they visit? What keywords do your prospects search on when looking for a solution (your service!) to their problems? Create an online advertising strategy based on the in-depth profile you’ve developed for your target audience.

Need more info about your target audience?

Just ask your customers… especially since they are also your best prospects for more business! And listen, listen, listen to what they tell you.

Review purchasing data and look for patterns. For example, where a customer lives gives insight into who they are, why they buy, and where best to advertise online to reach them.

Survey web site visitors. It’s easier than ever to survey using email and web-based forms so definitely give this a try. For example, check out SurveyMonkey to learn more.

Set up a blog or join a community where your customers and prospects hang out so you can hear their issues and create a dialogue (listen closely!)

Search the Internet for information on your industry and target audience. There are lots of sites and blogs out there about your target market. And many provide market data for free.

Conduct focus groups. Focus groups can provide hard to find insight into customer behavior… and they don’t have to be that expensive to do. Just get together with a bunch of customers and then let them do the talking!

And keep listening and learning. Your target audience will evolve…  so will your understanding of who they are and what drives their buying behavior.  So definitely treat listening and learning as an ongoing process.

Just remember, the more you know and understand about your target audience, the easier it’ll be to reach and engage them with your online advertising!

Whether you’re brand new or a veteran online advertiser, it’s always a good idea to review some of the many reasons why online advertising should be a growing part of your marketing budget.

Here are seven important ones:

1.  Your customers are online. More than ever, consumers use the Internet to research and select products to purchase… even if they plan to buy them offline! Your advertising will prompt them to consider your products and services too.

2.  Your competitors are online. Not only are your direct competitors advertising online, but also many companies that now use the Internet to target your customers. How to fight back? Make sure your customers see your advertising to remind them why they like your products best.

3.  Online advertising is cost effective. You can reach a large audience quickly and at lower cost than many other media. And if you use search marketing for your advertising… you only pay when you get results!

4   No big investment needed to get started. You can launch a simple website for a hundred dollars, and begin marketing it for another couple hundred. And it will be easy to scale your efforts over time as you test and learn what works best.

5.  Everything is immediate. You can test and launch your advertising very quickly and generate responses almost immediately. Said another way, if you need customers tomorrow, not next month, advertising on the Internet may be the way to go!

6.  The Internet has gone local. You no longer need to worry about wasting your advertising dollars on the Internet masses. Just target the community you care about with one of the many options for local advertising such as the online yellow pages.

7.  Lots of ways to reach your target audience. The Internet is a great channel for delivering your message to very specific audiences and in the narrowest market niches. Besides geographic targeting, you can also target based on your customers’ demographic profile, types of behavior, and special interests.

Just keep in mind, when advertising online you’ll still need to develop a good marketing strategy, target your audience, test, measure and improve… just as you would with any other marketing program. And with a good strategy in hand, you will be well on your way to generating the results you’re looking for!