The Internet is settling in and getting all comfortable in its new role as the reliable, go-to source for people looking for news and information about local businesses, especially restaurants and bars.
Newspapers -- in printed form on the doorstep or newsstand, or on newspaper websites -- also register as good sources for information about small businesses, as does word of mouth.
These were the major findings contained within a 30-page report released this week by the folks at Pew Research Center called "Where People Get Information About Restaurants and Other Local Businesses." And if there were any doubts remaining about the impact of the Internet on businesses, this survey should quash them.
More than half of the survey respondents report that they rely on online sources to obtain details about a restaurant or bar. That compares to the roughly one third of consumers who turn to the newspaper for such information. And another quarter of respondents said they listen to those around them to garner details about an eatery or a social club. Bringing up the rear is local television (either broadcasts or the station's website) at 8 percent.
Pew's findings offer a wealth of information for entrepreneurs and small business owners, especially during the gift-buying season. Small business owners and merchants need to know where to advertise to generate more business, and this report points directly to the Internet, as well as newspapers and word-of-mouth.
Related: How to Use Social Media for Research and Development
And looking ahead, business owners should be studying these figures to determine where their fiscal year 2012 advertising dollars are going to be spent. Aligning your marketing budget with an eye on where the consumer is turning for recommendations and information on products and services just makes sense.
Of those who rely on the Internet for details on restaurants, bars and local businesses, 38 percent said they turn to search engines, with another 17 percent signing on to specialty websites, says the Pew survey. Perhaps most surprising finding is that only three percent turn to social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter.
Related: Measuring Offline Vs. Online Word-of-Mouth Marketing
But another set of figures is probably of more interest to entrepreneurs and small business owners who don't run restaurants or social establishments. These are survey results that exclude dining venues and taverns. Of the two thirds of adults who say they seek news and information about local stores, shops and services, nearly half of them say they rely on the Internet. Within that group, 36 percent rely on search engines, 16 percent turn to specialty websites and 1 percent say they find businesses on social-media sites. Another 22 percent rely on recommendations from friends and family, and another 8 percent turn on local television broadcasts or look up websites of local stations.
Where do you plan to focus your business's ad dollars in the New Year? Leave a comment and let us know.
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Comments:
The last time I clicked on an Internet ad was probably close to never. If you want to adjust some ad expenditures, I'd take the money from your yellow pages and put it in your website and SEO. IF you're still in the yellow pages.
I agree, knowing your target market is key.
Having set up planetzim.com recently I welcome any tips on marketing, it does seem like a science all of it's own! Thanks for your insight.
Interesting insights! Can small businesses in other sectors such as printing, car dealership and IT also benefit from these avenues? While I may not want to dispute this findings my take on it is that some sectors may still need traditional means of advertising to get by.
Nice guidelines. I hope it would give better results in the New year.
You need to understand your audience before even considering your marketing mix. There is no point in print advertising if your consumer is not reading the paper, there is no point in temporary price reductions if your product has a low elasticity, there is little benefit to paid search advertising unless your strategy is to compete for top placement to improve awareness or leverage seasonality during key time periods. J. Grey www.emarketingfreak.com
As you have shared that media and the internet both two are the great options now a days to spend money for the advertisement. As through the media , people can know about us & about our product, and through the internet people can connect with us easily and can make the conversation with us and by solving their problems , we can attract them to ownself and can turn it into the deal. Thanks for such nice article sharing with us.
I hope local business owners will invest their ad dollars in local entities like their newspaper (online and mobile versions) and little league sponsorship, rather than in fatcats like Google and Groupon. - J Michael, ParetoCentral.com - "Programming Help from Many to You"
Thank you for that insight. I was surprised that only 1% use social media. There's so much hype that social media is vital to business growth today. J Mark www.goldmounttechservices.com
It's always been my impression that Facebook was of marginal worth for local businesses, especially those that are mainly b to b like ours, http://www.washonwheels.net. It's too easy to think that the latest craze is the place to be. I suggest you wait a few months or years before taking your efforts away from what you know already works. We post to Facebook, Linked-in and Twitter, too. But we have yet to see any measurable results. Google still rules for advertising.
Thanks. This will help my Media Company