ADVERTISING SMALL BUSINESS : Tips for Advertising Small Business

Small Business Targets Online Advertising

Big businesses aren't the only ones benefitting from Web advertising.

According to the most recent Local Commerce Monitor study, 17 percent of small businesses utilize search engine keyword advertising and/or paid inclusion in Internet search results as a means of reaching potential customers.

"This places search in seventh position among the advertising and promotion options being used by small businesses that advertise," said Neal Polachek, senior vice president of The Kelsey Group.

The Kelsey Group, a research and analysis company, and ConStat Inc., an IT research firm, sponsor the study which seeks to understand the behaviors of America's small and medium-sized businesses regarding the customer communication channels. The study should not be taken as a total market reflection, because it only looks at 14 major and secondary U.S. markets.

Other findings indicate increased Internet savvy among small-business advertisers. Nearly 50 percent of these same small businesses are now connecting to the Internet via some form of high-speed access-a 67% increase from a year ago, according to Polachek.

The study will be released by The Kelsey Group and ConStat during The Kelsey Group's Directory Driven Commerce Conference in Denver on July 21-23.