Online Ad Spending Hits Record in 2005, Up 30%
'The amount of money spent on Internet advertising in the U.S. rose by 30 percent last year to a record $12.5 billion, according to a report released Thursday by advertising trade group the Interactive Advertising Bureau and independent auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers.' - From CNET News
The article states that Keyword search ads led the sector, representing 41 percent market share and $5.1 billion in revenue. This should hit every business owner between the eyes and raise the question about what their own online advertising strategy is. I've known businesses in the past few years to establish national prominence and a largely expanded sales presence from adapting to this new reality.
If you have a business whose customers can come from more than just your nearby locale - then learning how to get connected to some of these online advertising tools and techniques is a great place to begin.
Question 1: Do you even know how your page ranks in the search engines? What actually comes up when you google your company name or the product/service lines that you represent? Try searching for your company or service the way a customer would - you will learn a lot about where you stand.
Question 2: Do you know how to purchase and benefit from even a basic Google Adwords advertisement? Although fine-tuning a Google ad and its underlying keywords can take some time, you can still get familiar with the technology in less than an hour… Visit https://adwords.google.com to learn more.