A recent investigation by the Internet Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers has indicated that while overall spend on advertising is reducing, how that expense is being used is changing.

Total advertising spending was down 16% in the first half of 2009 compared with the corresponding period in 2008. In itself the amount spent on TV advertising is down 16%. However during this time the amount spent on Online Marketing has now increased to £1.752bn, overtaking that spent on television.

The home use of speedier, cheaper (and frequently free) broadband services is becoming more widespread and this encourages the use of E-commerce and the requirement to advertise in that field. The Internet Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers report reports that the down turn has accelerated this alteration in advertising spending.

Online advertising is a blanket term that covers a number of procedures including direct e-mailing and classified adverts. Banner advertising is probably the most noticeable but needs careful use and placement. Someone browsing a website will often ignore banner advertising while focusing on the content of a site. A more successful method of online advertising is an approach known as search marketing. The average online user will use a search engine to find specific goods and services, choosing a possible supplier from the search lists.

The best known search engine is probably still Google, but Yahoo is currently trying to remind the world of its existence with extensive advertising. Bing is another search tool that will become more noteworthy because of its links with Microsoft. With so many search engines to choose from, it makes sense to make the search for a organisation site more effective and this can be done using a process known as search engine optimisation.

A potential customer will normally make a choice from the first page of search listings. Search engine optimisation methods try to ensure that a business site has a good Search Engine Placement so that it appears on that first page and that the search result is significant to the customer’s needs.

A Search Engine Optimization Company using these methods will incorporate adjustments to a business website so that search terms entered by a customer are liable to be found amongst the text. These need to be relevant as a misleading result could discourage a potential customer. It may also entail the creation of supporting documents such as this, which publicise the organisation and its site. References from another website will assist in increasing visibility.

Correctly arranged optimisation will raise the profile and reputation of a business with the search engines and raise the chances of being listed on the first page of search results.

Tags: home based business, women entrepreneurs, starting a business