Controlled Marketing Expenses are Dependent on your Marketing Budget

It is best to take an integrated approach combining online and offline marketing. Many businesses that start exclusively offline and then go online find that they end up with two marketing plans going on at the same time; one for offline and one for online. This seems to occur because while the business owner is very familiar with offline advertising they tend to outsource the online advertising and treat it separately. This is not a good approach in the long term. To avoid confusion and the wasting of valuable resources what is needed is an integrated approach from the outset. It is well worth the effort to take this integrated approach initially even if you may not understand the online portion very well. Start with the marketing plan integrating the two approaches and work from there. You will find a whole section on marketing plans and the integrated approach here.

Now what will it cost?

Online marketing expenses for small business may include:

• Website Design, Development and Marketing – anywhere from $2,000 to $25,000 (including Domain name, keyword research)
• Monthly website hosting, maintenance and Search Engine Optimization - $100 to $2,500
• Website Link Building Campaign - $100 to $500
• Online Advertising Campaign - $100 to $250 per month
• Search Engine/Online directories submission – up to $100

It is a very important decision where to place your marketing dollar online and should not be taken lightly. No matter how small a business is marketing decisions have an impact positive or negative. The decision on where to place you money must be carefully considered with regards to a set of criteria which I will discuss in the next part. Small business owners can be more interested in low cost marketing with their sometimes limited budget.

There are a huge range of web design services and online advertising media to choose from with wide ranging prices. You can make your choice of these services based on a word of mouth recommendation from a colleague, or from a source of information you can trust or you without these you will have to give a service a go. Ask them for examples of their work and the results they have achieved with other clients before handing over your money. Make sure there costs will not blow out your marketing expenses no matter how enticing they make there service sound. Step back and take a long term view and look at developing a marketing plan if you haven’t already then evaluate your budget.

In developing your marketing plan you can employ professionals or do it yourself by studying the principles and then writing your own or using software designed for the purpose. You will find information and resources on my Marketing Plan page to assist you.

Next: Part 2 Working out a Marketing Budget

Marketing on a budget is a sensible approach when dealing with a medium that you don’t completely understand. An Integrated marketing plan and a sensible budget will set you on the right path to solid, informed decisions for your business.

Part 3 Wise Investments

Part 3a Cost Effective Marketing Strategy

With your marketing plan and budget firmly set now you can implement your cost effective marketing strategy and invest your money wisely for the best results for your business.

Part 3b Affordable Online Advertising

Here you will learn in greater detail about affordable and effective online advertising. You can use one or several of these avenues and with good tracking procedures you will have your finger firmly on the pulse for your business goals.