March 26, 2009

Atlanta, GA – AIS Media, Inc., CEO, Thomas Harpointner gave advice to small businesses on the Labor Report Show. Harpointner suggested that by leveraging the internet, businesses can capitalize from consumer behavior and reduce their marketing expenses during these tough economic times. His comments included:

"It's time to work smarter and take a close account of what's working and what's not working," Thomas Harpointner encouraged businesses. "Companies are most definitely turning to technology to get better, measurable results and make better, educated decisions about ...where to put their money," he said.

There is without a doubt a transition from traditional to digital forms of marketing where it's easier to measure clicks and consumer interactions on a website as apposed to viewers driving by a billboard, Harpointner continued.

"95% of all B2B sales ...start with web searches whether it be a photocopier, telephone system, or digital camera," which has long been popular in consumer shopping. "[Businesses are] putting a lot more emphasis on their digital strategy and their website, email campaigns and making sure they're found on search engines ...they're realizing that this is the way of the future," Thomas Harpointner suggested.

The cost of traditional marketing continues to escalate along with cost of postage (currently at $.42 a stamp), however, email marketing campaign costs on average about one $.01 per email sent. Harpointner remarked that a small business owner that's considering alternatives to traditional marketing, "the digital alternative is much less expensive and much less risky than the direct mail counterpart."

Small businesses can start "step by step; everything does not have to be done all at once," Harpointner said. Start with the minimum and "continue to reinvest the profits" into your web strategy. Customers expect to review products online, so "sooner or later the consumers will force every business owner's hand" to have an online presence. It's better to embrace the digital change now than wait and follow the likes of Circuit City, Thomas Harpointner, AIS Media CEO, concluded.

 

To view the full segment visit: Keys to Develop Online Strategy

Founded in 1997, AIS Media is an Interactive marketing and web services company that provides businesses award-winning web site development, email marketing, lead generation, e-commerce and search engine marketing services. The company has developed a suite of Web-based applications under the proprietary “Excerpo” brand, which focuses on email marketing and e-commerce. AIS Media’s solutions are available directly and through its global network of certified partners. For more information, visit: www.aismedia.com.

© 2009 AIS Media, Inc.