• When was the last time you opened the Yellow Pages to search for business info? (I don’t even have a phone book around anymore. Do you?)
• When was the last time you leafed through the Sunday paper in search of a certain product info?
• What do you do during commercial breaks on TV? (I turn down the sound and make a phone call. Or, I check my email. Or, I get something to eat. Or, I go to the bathroom.)
• When was the last time you noticed an interesting ad somewhere…and you immediately called up all your friends to tell them about it? (Me: never.)

It’s nothing new. We’ve seen it for quite some time now…

Marketing ROI through traditional channels is going – online marketing is growing!

Here are some mind-boggling stats:

• 79% of Adult Americans use the Internet
• 78% of Internet users conduct product research online
• 10.3 Billion searches are conducted every month on Google

Shouldn’t your business be in front of these people?

• 24% of adults have posted comments or reviews online about the things they buy
• 40% of facebook’s user base is age 35+
• 64% of facebook users have become a “fan” of at least one company

Shouldn’t engaged, mature people with plenty of disposable income spread the word about your product?

• 40% of US smartphone owners compare prices on their mobile device while in-store, shopping for an item
• 1 in 5 US adult mobile phone owners have used their device to make a purchase in the past month

Shouldn’t your company utilize the exploding mobile market?

• 84% of 25-34 year-olds have left a favorite website because of intrusive or irrelevant advertising
• More than 1/3 of US companies use blogs for marketing purposes
• Companies that blog get 55% more website visitors

Shouldn’t you consult with an online marketing professional on how to create an effective online presence for your small business?

Need a few more stats? Click through this slide show…then contact us for a FREE consultation.

Can you host multiple domains and subdomains?

If you’re just starting your online business, you may think this doesn’t apply to you. However, as your business grows, there is a stronger possibility of you adding complementary websites. It’s better to find out if the host will provide for your business growth. It’s important to find out if your hosting company provides multiple domains/subdomains. Also, you need to know if there is an extra fee for this service.

What is the bandwidth and web space allowance?

Bandwidth refers to the amount of bytes transferred from your site to visitors when they browse your site. Large sites with active user communities need considerably more than brochure-style, static websites. Many web hosting companies spout unlimited bandwidth and space, but in all reality, there’s no such thing as unlimited resources. The host needs to budget data transfer (traffic or bandwidth) and storage space, so you need to be clear about their policies regarding what constitutes normal usage and what is considered abusive. A typical site (one without archived software) uses approximately 3 GB of bandwidth per month. Discuss your site’s needs, and ask if the company charges for overages. Some companies charge a pre-pay fee for overages, which is very difficult to predict. As your site grows, you want to keep extra fees in check.

How much technical support is provided?

Ask what type of tech support is available. No matter how much preparation and planning is involved, servers do fail, sites go offline temporarily, and other tech problems can crop up. What is the company’s policy on getting technical assistance? Is it available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week? What’s the process for submitting a ticket for help? Does the company have more than just a flashy sales page, do they have a dedicated support team? Send a test email to see how, and how fast, they respond to your questions.

What other features are included?

Hosting companies can do more than just connect your website to the Internet. In addition to hosting your site, they can also provide a more or less user-friendly control panel so you can administer your web space without outside help. A good host will also offer a webmaster service and other administrative tools for customers who do not have the time, technical skills or desire to do it themselves. This is a very important aspect of your web hosting requirements. Don’t be overly impressed with a long list of “features” that you might never need.

What are the fees?

Most people compare hosting companies by price only. While the cost is certainly important, it should not be the sole criteria for your final decision. Cheaper web hosts may not provide the necessary services for your business to be up and running efficiently. Conversely, an expensive webhosting service is no guarantee that you will get what your business specifically needs.

Ask all these questions first, and if they all meet your business needs, then compare the monthly or quarterly rates. It is also a good idea to look at existing customer testimonials or ask friends or colleagues for referrals.