Web Denizens

I am shortly to be involved with an initiative designed to get more small businesses using web search engine marketing. Part of the key to this is that it is available even to those businesses who don't have a website.

Many small (or micro) businesses are stuck in an outmoded paradigm where they have turned their back on the web. They are often fearful of it because they don't see themselves as part of the web generation; sometimes it is because they feel it is unnecessary for their business; sometimes they are mystified by it and don't really know how to approach it. There are myriad reasons (or excuses).

Part of this outmoded paradigm is to continue to allocate the majority of their advertising dollars to the good old yellow pages.

During conversations to plan for this initiative I was asked by those behind it what one thing I could say to small business owners about why they should be concerned with the web. My answer was simple - Even if they are not denizens of the web, the vast majority of their potential customers will be. You make it difficult to for them to access you at your peril.

If you are going to fish in a pond, fish in the one where the most fish are. Get onto the web.