Comments on: When the Web is a Small Business’s Enemy, pt. III

By: S.M.

S.M. — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:59:27 +0000

I agree with your comments, but like John, I think that small businesses need to distinguish themselves from internet retailers.

Here is where I think there might be a distinction to be made between SMALL and LOCAL businesses. I agree that the internet has probably hurt Local businesses to a large extent because people are buying more and more products online…

By: Andrew Sokol

Andrew Sokol — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:00:18 +0000

The web is a marketing tool. It can help small businesses with online – as well as offline – sales. The problem isn’t with the web itself, but with the lack of an effective online strategy by the small businesses you mention.

By: grocer

grocer — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:30:12 +0000

I agree with David.

The internet provides the local store an ability to tap into marketplaces/increasing it’s “customer offering” by using the internet as a business tool, whether by online or in situ sales.

By: Local Hound

Local Hound — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:58:28 +0000

“rallying together to ask local residents to do more shopping in town, rather than online.”

This is the right idea in that it is community building… but wrong because it won’t last. People will do it once (if at all) and feel they did their part.

However, if they continued to build the community on the web… they might have something.

I’ve long thought the proper vertical in local search is not by product but by location. In the 50′s, this was done at the lodge over a cold one.

Now, they need to move it online… the Chamber of Commerces are in a position to really help those they serve… they just don’t know it yet.

I think the “location vertical” is a huge opportunity.

By: Teddy Garcia

Teddy Garcia — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:48:42 +0000

As someone who used to own a “main street” bicycle store, an online shopping mall for hundreds of “unique mom and pop merchants” and now earns a living helping other offline business owners grow their business thru local search marketing, I’m not sure I buy this argument at all.

I help local offline business owners all day long grow their business by leveraging local search to find new customers. It works for just about every business out there when done correctly.

Most people aren’t concerned about simply getting the best price. They’ll gladly pay more for prompt, courteous, and knowledgeable service.

A perfect example is the owner of a used bookstore I met with today. You can read the story on my blog if you’re interested:

http://twurl.nl/7p83t6

@teddygarcia

By: David Mihm

David Mihm — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:36:25 +0000

Matt, here is where I think there might be a distinction to be made between SMALL and LOCAL businesses. I agree that the internet has probably hurt Local businesses to a large extent because people are buying more and more products online…

…but a lot of those sales are from smaller e-commerce companies. Just think of all the eBay stores alone, let alone the Mom & Pops who are making candles in their garage in Aberdeen, Washington and selling to folks in Aberdeen, Scotland. There are plenty of opportunities for well-optimized small business websites to capture great long-tail search traffic and make oodles of money.