Eighty percent of small businesses have websites and 16 percent plan on starting one, according to a recent survey conducted by Hennerberg Group, Inc.
But although 50 percent of small businesses say they receive good results from their websites, 30 percent are not getting the results they'd like.
While 41 percent of small business owners believe their websites bring exposure, 28 percent aren't sure about the effects they're getting and realize they need additional help.
More than 40 percent want help with SEO for better local search rankings, while nearly 37 percent say they need help using social media. Another 35 percent want outside help with email marketing promotions, and 33 percent say they need help building inbound links to their website.
"This survey suggests that small business owners know what online marketing initiatives should be done to grow their businesses," says Gary Hennerberg, president of Hennerberg Group, Inc. "But when they get into the actual implementation of website optimization or social media, they realize they don't know how to do it on their own."
The 2011 marketing and advertising budgets reported by small business owners show why so many are trying to tackle website development and social media on their own: About 23 percent plan to spend between $1,000 and $4,999 on these initiatives, with more than 14 planning to spend less than $1,000.
Only about 16 percent have budgets exceeding $5,000.