You really don't need to be a statistical expert to see that everyone's eyeballs are glued to computer screens everywhere you go. Think about it. Your family, friends, and coworkers are all looking up different things online that they need to find. Very often, it's local information they seek. Walk into any school campus, library, Internet cafe, or even a Starbucks and you'll see the same scene -- people online, and for hours at a time!
There's no stopping curious eyeballs
Human nature drives curiosity. People have a strong need and desire to know about things they're interested in. For example, a person might want to learn about the elephants in Africa, or they might want to know more about that nearby restaurant in their neighborhood. For decades, TV sets, radios, and dusty phonebooks did the job for us. But then came the Internet. And, that changed everything almost overnight.
Here's why the Internet is overwhelmingly popular:
It's universally useful. Because it holds unlimited information on virtually every imaginable thing you can think of, the types of people it attracts are also unlimited.
It's universally convenient. The Internet can EVEN be accessed from many places where phonebooks, TV sets, and portable radios are typically not allowed:
- Workplaces, especially offices
- Coffee shops (eg. Starbucks)
- Bookstores (eg. Barnes & Noble)
- School (eg. workshops, computer labs)
- Libraries
- Hotel lobbies
- Airports!
Wow! Can you imagine a person carrying a stack of phonebooks around the office or coffee shop because they want to find out about a nearby restaurant they want to go to? A TV set? A portable radio?
You can even access the Internet from cell phones!
It is all-inclusive. You can find information that's sitting in China as quickly as finding information that's sitting in L.A.'s own Chinatown.
So what are you waiting for?
Now that you understand how the Internet is global, you must understand one final point: Life is still very local.
Confused? Don't worry. The most important thing to remember when selecting where in the Internet to include your local business's information is that strong local focus is the most critical issue.
The author is one of the original co-founders of The Socal411 Directory website, the popular lifestyle directory in Southern California. He is a promoter of small business in the Los Angeles and Orange County area, and often speaks on topics such as the importance of advertising locally on the Internet to get ahead of your local competition. For more information see, How to Promote Your Southern California Business Using the Internet.