Friday, June 19, 2009


Are You Ignoring 80% Of Your Market?
Why You Should Be Reaching Out Across The Globe!

Did you know that by mid-year of 2008, the worldwide number of Internet users had grown to more than 1.46 BILLION people, with the total amount spent online estimated to grow to $263 billion by 2010 from $170 billion last year!?

With those figures in mind, consider that although the U.S. led the pack as of July '08 for the percentage of its population online (73.6%), that number still constitutes only 17% (and shrinking) of Web surfers worldwide—a fairly small segment of online users!

The true current and future online growth is and will be in the world's most populous countries, such as China, India, Brazil, Russia and Indonesia. In fact, the Asian continent ranks first worldwide for the number of Internet users—578 MILLION and growing. Moreover, since 2000, Africa and the Middle East have witnessed what can only be described as a phenomenal increase of online users: a cumulative, eight-year 1,031.2 % and 1,176.8 % growth rate, respectively!

Make no mistake about it: China, India, and these other rising economic powerhouses around the globe represent a HUGE POTENTIAL for every home-business owner. MASSIVE developments in technology, improvements in standards of living, and increasing disposable income are opening the floodgates to a vast array of virtually untapped business possibilities.

That said, it's important to realize that this trend represents MUCH MORE than an interesting sideline marketing strategy for your business. Ignore this burgeoning source of increasing profits, networks, team members, prospects, and resources, and you do so at your own peril. If the U.S. is still your sole online market and source for customers, prospects, and team members, you're GREATLY limiting your reach...AND your profits. After all, what business owner would willingly turn away 80% of the possible customers coming into his store? Answer: The kind of owner who won't be in business much longer!

Fortunately, the worldwide growth and reach of the Internet has leveled the international playing field for the small-business owner. Home-based entrepreneurs no longer have to leave international markets to the "bigger" companies and enterprises with deep pockets.

Additionally, you can find a plethora of budget-friendly resources online to help you reach across the globe to prospects, customers, and team members in other countries. Pay-per-click pricing for the popular Google Adwords service and other PPC search engines has risen dramatically for U.S.-targeted advertising. However, many offer country-specific search engines and PPC ad opportunities—often for a fraction of the cost!

Take a few moments now and check out these Websites. They'll make a great starting point for planning your international business focus:

  • Google International

    • Adwords: Regional and Local Targeting —Target your PPC ads to appear only in specific country, region, or city searches. This allows your ads to appear only for people searching for results in regional areas you choose.

    • Looking for good online advertising sources in a specific country? Try this Google search page. Simply enter the country in which you want to limit your search results, enter your keyword (i.e., online ads, classifieds, etc.), and click the Google Search button.

    • To find a Google search engine for a specific country, click HERE, then scroll down to the bottom of the page.

  • Yahoo! Search Marketing (formerly Overture): International— A nice overview for using Yahoo!'s PPC offering to reach the world.

  • International Search Engine Directory—A list of search engines per country. A great place to start for finding country-specific ad sources.

  • Search Engine Watch: Pay-Per-Click Search Engines—Get information on major PPC search engines, second-tier PPC players, and more.

Start developing your international focus today. Don't make the mistake of ignoring 80% of your potential market—you can bet your competition won't!

==================================

Statistical Resources:

Internet World Stats - INTERNET USAGE STATISTICS, The Internet Big Picture, World Internet Users and Population Stats

Computer Industry Almanac - Worldwide Internet Users Top 1 Billion in 2005. USA Reach Nearly 200M Internet Users.

Posted By Chris Keenan
www.bizmancan.com
Visit us to learn more about starting your own home business.