subject: Give Your Small Business The Edge [print this page] With millions of people regularly surfing the web in search of a wide array of goods and services, its hardly an exaggeration to say that the internet has completely changed the face of the way people from around the world do business. It would be remiss, of course, to overlook its social impact more and more people are going online to communicate with old friends as well as making new ones. While the internet has opened up a whole world of possibilities for entrepreneurs, they continue to face significant headwinds in the form of sluggish global economic performance and weak consumer confidence.
In fact, the hangover from the worldwide recession that followed the 2008 financial crisis continues to weigh heavily on business activity in many countries. Not only are householders hesitant to spend in the face of mounting job insecurity and widespread wage restraint, but banks have become increasingly unwilling to provide credit to small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This has left smaller businesses increasingly starved of cash, making it difficult for them to increase or even retain market share. Larger rivals have been better placed to diversify their offerings and dangle price cuts in front of customers, making it harder and harder for small firms to keep up.
However, the outlook for small business isnt entirely negative. The internet has thrown many small firms a lifeline, allowing them to advertise their services and products easily and affordably. The world wide web allows SMEs to advertise their products to a much wider variety of potential customers than ever before, and there have been many beneficiaries in recent years in spite of the widespread upheaval in domestic economies around the world. Spending on internet advertising has surged over the last decade, with e-marketing campaigns becoming increasingly elaborate and often linked with publicity drives in other media such as the printed press or television.
E-mail marketing has become one of the more common forms of online advertising. It gives businesses the opportunity to contact potential customers directly to alert them to any price promotions or new products which become available. Some businesses conduct e-mail marketing campaigns in the form of a mailing list, which collects e-mail addresses of customers and potential customers so that regular updates can be sent straight to them. Its important to take care when conducting an e-mail marketing drive, however, as unsolicited correspondence whether physical or virtual is rarely welcomed by consumers.
