smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

With the web now more popular that billboards, in terms of advertising spend, it is a pity to hear that growing internet businesses could be missing out on a raft of opportunities through lack of preparation.

A study by the Internet Advertising Bureau contends that advertisers are, for the first time, spending more on advertising online than outdoors – UK revenues from online ads rising a remarkable 62 per cent on a like-for-like basis to £490 million in the first half of 2005. This gives online advertising a 5.8 per cent share of the market, compared to 5.1 per cent outdoors. ‘These results have surpassed our expectations,’ hoots Guy Phillipson, chief executive of the IAB in the UK. ‘At the end of 2004 the IAB predicted online would overtake outdoor by mid 2006 and we’ve beaten this target.’

But, possibly in over-eagerness to milk the internet cash cow for all she is worth, small businesses are taking a hit-and-miss approach to the medium, according to a survey by online payment experts securetrading. They found that 66 per cent of online companies are either not on track with their business plans or did not even write one in the first place.

David Abbott, CEO of securetrading, provides some suggestions. ‘Time is of the essence. When someone arrives at your website you want them to make a purchase as quickly and easily as possible. Avoid flash animation and fussy home pages, make sure that your products are organised in a way that’s going to suit your customers.

‘Learn from your competitors and other websites,’ he adds. ‘Ensure that your ‘buy’ buttons are clear and prominent, and make sure that navigation from page to page is simple and intuitive.’

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