According to the Small Business Association over 50 percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. According to Bloomberg, the number is even graver as it reports 80 percent of entrepreneurs fail within 18 months. With the odds of failure so great, effectively marketing your small business is crucial. Below are key reasons you should consider an Internet Marketing Strategy.

Customization

Internet marketing allows businesses to tailor offers to specific customers who fit a detailed profile.  The target audience can be narrowed to a specific geographic location, gender, age, income bracket, even likes and dislikes based on search engine history.

Internet marketing campaigns can be customized to the equipment the audience is most likely to use.  A recent Forbes article shared impressive statistics for mobile advertising, one of the most essential platforms for internet marketing.  Statistics for mobile users revealed that 91 percent of adults keep their mobile device within arm’s reach. More important to small businesses, 9 out of 10 mobile searches lead to action.

Internet advertising gives businesses the opportunity to share important product information online where their audience is searching. Of the seven billion people on the planet, an estimated four billion people have smart phones and 81 percent of smartphone users have done product research from their phone, and 50 percent have made a purchase via their phone. (Source: Prosper Mobile Insights).

Cost

An important benefit of internet marketing is the ability to immediately make adjustments based on advertisement performance and budget.  Businesses can choose the platforms that perform best and produce the greatest return. We recently compared the Google platform to Bing and the flexibility each of them offers advertisers.  Jacob Baadsgaard, CEO of Disruptive Advertising confirmed in a recent article on Entrepreneur.com that “Google has the most volume when it comes to their ad network. But they’re far from the only option. Bing provides great results for businesses targeting the baby boomer generation. You can also look into Google Search Partner Networks for other opportunities for higher ROI.” The primary point is that effective marketing opportunities that fit your budget are available.

Creative use of content and existing digital assets can be used to support an Internet Marketing Strategy.  The company blog, social media channels, videos, and email lists are just a few channels for sharing the marketing message and driving engagement to the company website and sales funnel.

Convenience

More than 2 billion people use the internet. When compared to print advertising, the advertisements place in magazines and newspapers may not even be seen by the target audience. With internet advertising, we are able to target precisely when our audience is online and their most active buying times. Combine internet marketing with an online storefront and business owners have the benefit of gaining sales 24 hours every day without the costs of overtime. Customers can place orders at a time that is convenient for them.

If you are looking for insurance against business against failure one of your best options is through a strategic internet marketing strategy.