Small Businesses Still Confused About Online Ads

Kelsey Group: Small Businesses Not Yet Advertising Online

Greg Sterling, The Kelsey Group program director, said the main challenge facing the industry is convincing small and mid-sized businesses to respond to growing local search usage. He said that business-owner confusion is one of the main reasons for under-spending in the online local market. For that reason, Sterling believes the new package deals offered by Yellow Pages providers Dex Media and BellSouth--which already have a large database of local advertisers through their print Yellow Pages deals--hold promise because they offer a simplified way of marketing the Internet to small businesses.

It's mind boggling to me that so many business rely upon habit to guide marketing and advertising decisions.

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