32% of all small businesses and 63% of medium businesses surveyed, use internet for receiving payment.

45% of small and 64% of medium businesses surveyed use internet to make purchases.

44% of small and 84% of medium businesses surveyed have a web site.

82% of small to medium enterprises surveyed who are connected to internet search for information regularly.

93% of internet-connected small to medium enterprises surveyed use email as a form of communication.

81% of small and 98% of medium businesses surveyed are connected to internet.

Source: 2003 Yellow Pages ® Business Index - Special Reports July 2003

It might even be smart to develop a short marketing campaign that focuses on your commitment to your customer’s privacy, instead of simply stating that you have a privacy policy or stating your policy in unreadable font at bottom of your literature.

About 50 % of consumers today have little more knowledge than brand or product recognition and have little desire to acquire extra information about a brand or product, so it behooves marketing community to link recognition of their brand to trust, safety, and advocacy. Instead of selling to consumers, target your marketing to help them believe that you are making them safer and more secure by purchasing your brand and then back it up!

Darrin F. Coe, MA is a mental health professional, a weekly columnist, and author of “micro loans: finance your dreams available at http://dcoe1.tripod.com/microfinance. Contact him at coe@ris.net or http://dcoe1.tripod.com