Perhaps because the small business owner is NOT a digital marketer, the necessary elements of effective internet marketing are not well utilized. The evolution of website maturity starts with "I need a good website". Then the realization sets in that a good website doesn't matter without traffic. Most businesses understand the need for ranking on the major search engines. That's the focus of most small businesses relative to their website today. It's not enough!

What happens when you've gone through these two stages? You've got a great website (by that I mean it represents your brand, is attractive and highlights your products and services). And let's say you're also pretty well positioned in the search engines. You're getting quite a number of hits to your website but you realize that those visitors aren't necessarily turning into customers. That realization is the difference between you and the digital marketer.

Reputation management is relatively new to internet marketing and it's already getting pretty sophisticated. But with that comes a cost and a price. Prices range from $500 to $5000 per year. Here's the thing... you may already have the tools within the scope of your web arsenal to do this without shelling out a nickel!

Technology is moving at a very rapid pace and many website owners are finding they are behind the times. Here are our top five website requirements that every website must have to meet today's consumer standards: