LOCAL BUSINESSES BUCK ONLINE ADVERTISING TRENDS

Peterborough based Internet consultants and online publishers, InternetNow! commented on figures published this week by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK.

Britain's Internet advertising market topped 350 million pounds in 2003, putting the industry right on track to surpass commercial radio within the next three years, according to the report.

The Chief Executive of the IAB observed that there was now a real appreciation of the value of online advertising from the smallest entrepreneur to the largest retail giant, because the audience is already here. InternetNow!, who handle online advertising bookings for a variety of local and national websites has noticed that local businesses do not seem to have latched on to this trend.

Company partner, Jenny Mogford, said: “In our experience local business is just not making the most of the online opportunities available. Companies realise they must promote their websites to make them work, but for most online advertising really does not yet figure in the equation.”

InternetNow! operates on the principle that it is essential for any business with a website to consider all media when planning campaigns. The Internet offers particular benefits as it provides a multitude of cost effective means of promotion and brand reinforcement that are uniquely traceable.

Jenny continued: “Even businesses that do not trade outside of their locale have websites and there are online advertising openings available for them too. Many regional newspapers, town and city sites and business organisations provide just the audiences they need.”

It could be that firms are familiar with the traditional ways of buying advertising and worried about leaving their comfort zone especially after the dotcom bubble burst in 2000.

“The Internet is a far more stable place to do business than it’s ever been and we firmly believe that more use of this ‘new’ media would support and extend the reach of traditional media,” Jenny concluded.

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21/07/2004
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