Jan 14, 2013

Utilizing Localized Internet Targeting For Your Small BusinessBy Grady WinstonBusiness2Community.com

Over the past few decades, American consumers have become very comfortable with big box stores. These are the Wal-Marts of the world, the one-stop shops that promise low prices, consistently stocked shelves and a sense of familiarity from one store to the next. This mentality has somehow managed to find its way into every aspect of American life — we have chain restaurants, big breweries and even massive websites that dominate retail. Recently, however, there has been a big push for supporting local businesses. Somewhere along the way, consumers began to value the offerings of smaller, more focused retailers and the local economy has begun to recover from the invasion of the retail giant. What happened? Why the sudden shift? It would seem there’s a major problem when it comes to the big box model and local businesses are finally finding solutions to help them compete again.

The problem

The main frustration with the threat to local economies is that all profits are typically circulated directly back into and within the area they are received. When hotshot corporations like Wal-Mart open shop, their revenue is not going directly back into their local economy; instead, it’s going back to corporate headquarters and being dispersed all over the place. You may be thinking, “If this is happening everywhere, the money is going to be circulating everywhere, right?” Well, not directly. Smaller towns are losing their once-thriving economy because the money is being taken away when it could be going right back to its home. There’s also a question of resources. Global brands have a means of destroying local competition with advertising. A local business isn’t likely to buy a Super Bowl ad or strike a deal with a soccer team to have their brand slathered over the front of the jerseys. Moreover, huge brands have done an exceptional job of being reliable, albeit predictable. You always know what you’re gonna get at McDonald’s or Best Buy. That said, things seem to be changing.

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