Did you know that fewer than half of all small businesses advertise online? That’s what Nielsen Online reports. Surprising, huh? Well, maybe not… if you’re a small business owner who finds Internet advertising confusing, complex, and cluttered (we sure do!)

But the fact is that most consumers now search the Web for local products and services like yours. And if your competitors aren’t already on the Internet they will be soon. So like it or not… it’s time to jump online.

Seriously, how else are you going to become comfortable with Internet marketing if you don’t begin doing it? (Tough love, I know.)

Here’s the good news: There are lots of services now available to help you market your business online. From making it easy and affordable to build a website; to getting a listing with the Internet Yellow Pages; to helping you manage search advertising with Google.

Not sure where to start? Read on…

1.  What if you don’t even have a website?

Our recent post: Does Your Business Need a Website? lays it out for you… including the must-have pages that every local website needs. And here’s our list of the Best Free and Affordable Website Builders. You’ll be seriously amazed at how easy it is to build a great looking website. Best of all… no technical degree required!

2.  Want to have your business found on the Internet?

Listing with the Internet Yellow Pages and other online directories is really important. Here’s our list of the Best Local Directories for Your Online Advertising. With these directories, it’s mostly free to create a listing for your business… and if you’re willing to pay ($25 to $50 monthly) you can also add photos, special offers, user reviews, and more!

3.   What if you’d like to find more prospects online?

Using a service to help you with search engine marketing may be the way to go. Check out Yodle and ReachLocal to see if they meet your needs. Both specialize in helping small business owners advertise on Google and other search engines to find prospects looking for local products and services.

4.  Still trying to get a handle on this online advertising stuff?

We understand. As a matter of fact, we’ve written a few blog posts on this very topic:

Why Advertise Online? Here are 7 Important Reasons

Getting Started with Local Online Advertising?

Your Local Online Advertising Options

And remember… when you’re ready we’re here to help too!

One of our favorite places to visit this time of year is Los Angeles. Why? Because it’s got that perfect combination of beaches, movies stars, and Disneyland (for the kids of course!)

L.A. is also one of the biggest metropolitan markets in the country… with almost 18 million consumers ready to spend on your products and services.

Wondering how best to reach them with your online marketing message? Then check out our list of the 21 best websites for advertising to L.A. consumers.

For example, this “best of” list features websites for major print and television news outlets including the Los Angeles Times and KTTV Fox 11, sites geared towards specific regions or neighborhoods, such as Yo! Venice, Daily Breeze and Blogdowntown, along with lifestyle and event sites including LAist, Green LA Girl, and LA Moms Blog.

The complete list of the Best Websites for Advertising to L.A. Consumers can be found on our Leadtail blog – Best Online Advertising Stuff.

Have a great L.A. website that you’d like to nominate for next time? Just let us know…

We’ll see you at the beach this summer!

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!

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!

Are you ready to market your local business on the Internet? Well then, the first thing you need to do is spend a lot of money creating a website… not! As a matter of fact, you don’t even need a website to start. So put away that checkbook (for now) and let’s instead take a look at your online advertising options…

Internet Yellow Pages. Yes, it’s the online version of the tried and true yellow page directory. Simple enough to understand right? For example, check out YellowPages.com, SuperPages.com, and Yellowbook.com. Each of these offers a free listing for your business and you can also pay for a more prominent listing… again, just like the regular yellow pages.

Online Directories. These sites make it easy for Internet users to search for a local business like yours. Yahoo! Local, Local.com, and InsiderPages are local directories you should consider. There may also be directories that just focus on your type of business. For example, if you own a restaurant then you probably want to be listed in UrbanSpoon. Many directories offer free business listings… and if you’re willing to pay, your business can show up higher in search results!

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. Citysearch and Yelp are good examples. And like the Internet yellow pages and online directories, you can get a business listing and promote your business in search results.

Paid Search. Of course you can always pay Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft to show up in their local search results. For example, if you’re a dentist located in Chicago, it may make sense to buy a paid search ad for the keywords “dentists, Chicago” to drive local prospects to your website. Keep in mind that setting up, testing, and managing your paid search programs can be time consuming and complicated… so you may want to turn to firms like Yodle or ReachLocal to help out.

Online Newspapers. Don’t forget your local newspaper! It attracts lots of online readers from your neighborhood. And just like the print version, you can buy ads in different sections like the news, sports, and entertainment pages of their site. But this may be a better option if you have your own website and a bit more of a marketing budget.

Local Websites. There are many other websites that cater specifically to your local market. For example, your city magazine probably has an online version. Plus there are local blogs that focus on community news, real estate, parenting, sports, and even nightlife. And some may be looking for advertisers just like you. The key is to find local websites that do a great job of reaching your target audience.

All good and helpful information right? But where do you start? Well… that depends.

What if you have no website or budget? At least get your free business listings with the Internet Yellow Pages, Online Directories, and City Guides. A business listing is like a one-page website showing your company name, address, phone number… and maybe more. That way the millions of people searching these sites can now find your business! And if you have some budget to spend then consider upgrading to a paid and more prominent listing (about $50 per month). You should also start testing some of the advertising programs these sites offer ($100 to $400 per month) to see what works best… to get the phones ringing!

What if you have a great website and $500 or more per month to spend marketing your business? Then, in addition to advertising in the Internet Yellow Pages, Online Directories, and City Guides, you should also be running local paid search ads. And if you’re looking to spend over $1,500 monthly on advertising your local website (lucky you!)… definitely consider adding your online newspaper and local websites to the mix.

Btw… right now someone in your neighborhood is searching the Internet for a business like yours. Hurry up and get started… to make it easy for them to find you!