75% of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Say Internet Marketing is Effective

Here are some key findings of Search Engine Land’s survey, which they ran in conjunction with ChamberofCommerce.com and BrightLocal:

• 70% are spending less than on marketing per month (vs. 73% in 2013)
  
• 83% are spending less than on marketing per month (vs. 85% in 2013)
  
• Just 16% are spending more than on marketing per month (vs. 21% in 2013)
  
• 34% allocate less than 10% of their marketing budget to online channels (vs. 33% in 2013)
  
• 50% allocate less than 30% of their marketing budget to online channels (vs. 49% in 2013)
  
• 29% allocate more than 70% of their marketing budget to online channels (vs. 28% in 2013)
  
• 37% plan to increase their internet marketing spend over the next 12 months (vs. 21% in 2014)
  
• 47% are unsure (vs. 47% in 2013)
  
• 16% have no plans to increase their internet marketing spend in the next 12 months (vs. 32% in 2013)
  
• 32% find internet marketing to be “very effective” at attracting new customers (vs. 27% in 2013)
  
• 75% believe that internet marketing is ‘effective’ or ‘very effective’ at attracting new customers (vs. 68% in 2013)
  
• 4% don’t do any internet marketing (vs. 8% in 2013)

Our question is: What can the other 25% do to see the same results? And what can we do to help them?

On Monday, the folks at Search Engine Land released some initial findings of a survey they took of SMBs, or Small and Medium-Sized Businesses. The article, which can be read in full here, asks about businesses’ Internet Marketing spend, perceived return on their investments, and focus on mobile. And according to the year-over-year data, internet marketing is definitely growing: 37% of SMBs plan to increase their internet marketing spend over the next 12 months (vs. 21% in 2014).