When the World Wide Web began, we had no idea just how powerful it would become. While the development of a global communication system is credited to have begun in the early 1980’s, the concept was born in 1946 when, author Murray Leinster wrote the short story called “A Logic Named Joe” in which computer terminals or “logics” were found in every home.
Since the conception, invention and implementation of the World Wide Web, through the 80’s and into the early 90’s, the Internet has exploded and personal computers, tablets and smart phones have become as common place as owning a toothbrush! As of 2013, the US census showed that 83% of American households had at least one desktop computer, laptop or tablet in the home and nearly 65% had one of each. As of today, nearly 3.2 BILLION people are on the Internet daily! That translates into 43% of the global population!
As a small business owner, there is nothing more important in this digital age than a strong online presence. The internet has become the primary source where nearly all services and products are found. Simply put, if a business is not represented online, it’s very likely that many potential customers are going to the competition that IS online.
With the increased use of the internet, many existing marketing companies have evolved while a new crop of online marketing companies have sprung up, specializing in online advertising, social media management and search engine optimization, which, in a nutshell, is the new age marketing for ALL businesses, big or small. As the largest advertising and marketing platform the world has ever known, the World Wide Web affords small business, upstarts and entrepreneurs the exact same platform used by the big corporations and powerhouse companies, which in turn, has literally leveled the playing field for the little guys.
A small business with no website virtually doesn’t exist to the nearly 85% of Americans who use the internet to find a good restaurant, a veterinarian, a new gym or even a jeweler. No matter what the industry, a strong online presence is imperative for success at nearly any level in this day of instant information through the sheer power of the World Wide Web.
