If you live in the North Port, Florida area, you know that the economic downturn has had a very powerful impact on our community. As a community that thrived on new home construction and a strong real estate market in the first half of this decade, residents and business owners alike have seen a significant downturn over the last three years. It is very possible that this is the worst stretch of economic struggle this community has seen in its 50 years of existence.
As a longtime resident of North Port and a local business owner, I understand the struggles in the marketplace. Every day I meet with business owners in the North Port, Venice, Port Charlotte areas. As the owner of a website development service, my job is to help small business owners increase market share with an effective web presence.
In the 25+ years I’ve spent in the marketing field, I’ve learned that maintaining or increasing advertising budget levels during economic downturns is necessary in terms of protecting market position.
- Companies that fail to maintain market share during an economic downturn will see current and future sales jeopardized. Maintaining that market share costs much less than rebuilding it later on.
- During an economic downturn you must maintain a strong advertising presence. If your competitors cut their budget, you will automatically increase your market share.
- Advertising through both boom and down times sustains your brand recognition.
When times are good, you should advertise; when times are bad, you MUST advertise. Advertising in an economic downturn should be regarded not as a drain on profits, but as a contributor to profits and insurance for the future.
In this day and age, an effective website is more important than ever. I’m not talking about the static, never changing web technology of the past. I’m talking about a dynamic website that you can control and update without having to own any special software or without any tech savvy knowledge. If you can type a letter, you can update your website.
The internet is changing every day. More people are looking for local businesses via the internet than the yellow pages. A website is no longer a value-added marketing tool, it should be the centerpiece of your entire marketing campaign – because it works 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week, unlike all of your other marketing tools.
In 15 years of developing websites for companies worldwide, we have continued to stay current with industry trends. This is a major advantage to our customers, because they get the latest technology available.
It’s time to bring your marketing systems and your website into the 21st century, or suffer the consequences of being surpassed by your competition.
Integrity Technology Group develops websites for clients worldwide from its base in North Port, Florida. We can be reached in the local area at 941-876-0198 or nationwide via toll-free 1-800-621-4299. Visit us on the web at www.integritytechgroup.com.
John Delaney
President/CEO
Integrity Technology Group LLC
