To the "traditional" business owner, these concepts often seem like fads, or otherwise like wastes of time. To the professional marketer, the benefits seem obvious. Where, then, is the root cause of this dissonance? Is online marketing really necessary for today’s traditional small businesses, or is it possible to survive without an online strategy?

Point for Necessity 1: Consumer Expectations Have Changed

Almost every American has access to and regularly uses the Internet. Most of us, when we hear of a business for the first time, immediately look for a website or social media profile where we can learn more. We don’t stop in for a visit. We don’t look you up in a phone book. We don’t consult a rolodex. People expect you to have a website, and if you don’t, they may doubt your legitimacy or discard you as a potential option altogether. There’s a "bare minimum" standard that consumers expect to see of businesses online, so strive to achieve at least that.

Point for Necessity 2: Competition

Just because you’ve been reluctant to adopt an online marketing strategy doesn’t mean your competitors haven’t. They could be conquering the digital landscape, poaching your potential customers and offering a better first impression to anyone searching for businesses like yours in your area. To make matters worse, every day they continue to follow these strategies is another day ahead of you they’ll be.

Point for Necessity 3: Rate of Change

Finally, I want to point out the rate of change in technology accessibility, reliance on online stores and services, and of course, consumer behaviors. Big breakthroughs in technology, such as high-speed Internet and mobile devices, make us more dependent on the Internet and less dependent on physical structures every day. This means online marketing becomes more important on a consistent scale as time passes. If you don’t think online marketing is important for your business today, there’s a chance you’re right—but think about next year. This is a long-term investment.