Online Resource Centers, Email Newsletters and Webcasts Strongly Influence Purchasing Behavior Among SMBs, Survey Finds

CAMBRIDGE, MA, May 3, 2011 – Small and medium businesses (SMBs) continue to prefer online searches, online resource centers, email newsletters and webcasts as sources of information and business management advice, reinforcing findings from 2010, according to a new study released today by Bredin Business Information.

Bredin surveyed 300 SMBs on their attitudes toward a variety of online and offline marketing tactics, including social media, cellphone advertisements, email newsletters, trade shows, print advertisements and direct mail.

"With the recession lifting, small business owners are all about finding new customers, so they're really looking to marketers for guidance," said Bredin CEO Stu Richards. "In particular, they look to their vendors to provide business management and marketing advice, especially via resource centers, email newsletters and webcasts."

Key results of the research include:

•	Search: SMBs prefer search to get product information (74% rate top-two box), followed by email newsletters and educational resource centers (both 55%), and webcasts (43%). Least popular: "Ads on your cellphone" (18%).
•	Events: Respondents rate trade shows (62%) as the most preferred offline format for product information, followed by newspaper / magazine stories (52%), direct mail (51%) and print newsletters (50%).
•	Purchasing criteria: SMBs rate "Designed for my needs" the most important factor when buying products and services for their business. The second most important factor: "High value." Least important: "Leading brand."
•	Business concerns: "Finding new customers" is the top business concern (72% rated top-three box, of 10 concerns), followed by "Dealing with competition" (56%). The least important concern: "Retaining talented employees."
•	Business advice: 47% of SMBs visit vendor websites often or very often for business management advice; 52% think more favorably of a vendor whose site has educational content, and 44% are more likely to buy as a result.
•	Marketing tactics: SMBs are trying a wide range of online marketing tactics to find new customers – especially their own website, email offers and search – but are finding every online marketing tactic less effective than in 2010, in part because of the increasing difficulty standing out in the cluttered online marketplace.
•	Top-rated brands: FedEx ranks No. 1 among SMBs, with 78% rating its brand favorably or very favorably. Google, HP, and UPS are close behind, continuing the top-four ranking for these brands among SMBs since 2009.

Members of the media interested in receiving a copy of the complete results may email info@bbionline.com with "SMB survey results" in the subject line.

About the study
Marketing to SMBs in 2011 is based on a survey of 300 principals of US-based businesses with fewer than 500 employees. The objective of the survey was to better understand their marketing preferences and key business concerns. The survey was fielded in February 2011.

About Bredin
Bredin has been helping leading companies develop profitable, long-term relationships with SMBs since 1991. Bredin provides insight into SMB needs and concerns through original market research, and acquisition and retention programs to achieve our clients' marketing goals. Learn more about Bredin at www.bbionline.com.