E-Business
Reasons Your Business Need to Focus on Internet Marketing
If you run a business, you should be spending the majority of your marketing resources on internet marketing.
As the internet grows, other forms of marketing and advertising are becoming less and less effective.
People are using the internet to find businesses, products, and services they need, and the best way to attract more customers or clients to your business is to make sure you are visible on the internet.
It used to be that radio and television advertising as well as print marketing were enough to market and advertise your business.
Nowadays, though, most people get their information from the internet. People are less likely to watch commercials on the television, especially with Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming services. With Pandora and Spotify, people are less likely to listen to conventional radio stations as well.
The readership of newspapers and magazines has certainly declined also as the majority of people are turning to the internet for news, entertainment, and interesting articles.
Having a visible web presence has never been more essential for small businesses. It is important that your potential customers be able to find you on search engines, social media, and local search.
Here are five reasons you need to ramp up your internet presence in 2014.
1. 89% of Customers Turn to Search Engines Before Making Online Purchases
Fleishman-Hillard conducted a study that found that the vast majority of customers are researching products and services on Google, Bing, and Yahoo before they make purchases. If your business is not showing up on the first page of search engine results, you may be missing out on quite a bit of potential customers. Optimizing your website so that it will have a visible presence on search engine results pages is essential.
2. Social Media is the #1 Online Activity We Participate In
If you have been dragging your feet about getting your business on social media, now is the time to change that. According to Buffer, social media is now the #1 activity that individuals participate in online.
Connecting with your customers on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and more has never been more important. Not only is this a great way to connect with existing customers, but this is also an excellent way to reach out to new customers and market your business in general.
One good thing to do is to focus most of your efforts on the social media site that is best for your business.
For example, if your business is very visual in nature (jewelry, fashion, etc.), Pinterest may be a great page for you. Check out the different social media pages to find the one you should focus on.
3. Companies Who Blog More than Once Per Day are More Likely to Gain Customers
In 2012, HubSpotState of Inbound Marketing found that 92% of companies that published a blog multiple times a day increased their web traffic and their customers via their blog. It’s important to have an interesting blog that people will want to read and link to.
This is a great way to gain more exposure and more web traffic, which will only lead to more business for you.
4. More Web Content Means More Leads and Customers For Your Business
HubSpot found that webpages that had 30 or more landing pages tended to generate 7 times more leads than those that had fewer than 10 landing pages. Try to expand your website out and create more content that is engaging to internet users.
This is a great way to optimize your website for search engines as well. For example, if your business has more than one location, consider expanding your website out and creating unique pages for every location. This will make you more visible on the web.
5. Local Search is Essential For Small Businesses
LocalVox found that, “88% of consumers who search for a type of local business on a mobile device call or go to that business within 24 hours.
” If your business is not showing up in local search and you are a restaurant, retail store, or another brick-and-mortar business, you are definitely missing out on potential customers.
Boost your local search efforts, and encourage all of your customers to leave reviews on Google+, Yelp, etc. You might also try offering specials on Yelp and Foursquare to encourage people to “check in” to your business and spread the word via their own social network.
These are only a few of the reasons it is smart to devote the majority of your marketing resources to internet marketing.
You will find that if you spend a lot of time and energy on increasing your web presence, it will only mean more web traffic, more customers, and more growth for your business.
kanu iroegbu is a certified Digital Marketing Consultant, WSI Netmedia Reach Solutions Ltd. WSI is the world’s #1 Internet services franchise offering advanced digital marketing solutions to suit the needs of businesses from multiple industries.
The company has the world’s largest network of Digital Marketing Consultants operating in more than 80 countries internationally and a 100-person strong head office in Toronto, Canada.
Since the mid 1990s, small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) around the globe have drastically increased their revenues and expanded their markets with the lucrative online marketing services provided by WSI. He can be reached through: [email protected]
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has directed all Data Controllers and Data Processors of Major Importance (DCPMIs), yet to register with the commission to do so immediately.
This followed a Federal High Court judgment affirming NDPC statutory powers to designate and register such entities.
DCPMIs are entities operating in Nigeria that handle sensitive personal data or large volumes of information, requiring mandatory registration with the NDPC under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).
In a statement issued on Tuesday by Babatunde Bamigboye, head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the NDPC, described the judgment as a major milestone for data accountability and regulatory oversight in Nigeria.
The commission said the ruling arose from a suit filed by Emmanuel Harunna against the NDPC in Emmanuel Harunna v. NDPC (FHC/L/CS/1116/2024), in which the applicant sought a declaration that Point of Sale agents were not Data Controllers or Processors of Major Importance under the Nigeria Data Protection Act and requested a perpetual injunction restraining the commission from registering them.
According to the statement, Justice F.N. Ogazi examined the commission’s Guidance Notice on Registration alongside Sections 5(d), 6(c), 44, 45 and 65 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act before concluding that the commission acted within its statutory powers in designating entities under the Major Data Processing – Ordinary High Level category as Data Controllers and Processors of Major Importance.
Quoting the judgment, the statement read, “The Nigeria Data Protection Act was enacted to promote accountability, transparency and responsible data governance. Registration enables the Respondent to identify entities engaged in significant data processing activities, monitor compliance.”
It added that the court held that, “Far from undermining the constitutional right to privacy, the registration framework is one of the statutory mechanisms designed to safeguard that very right by subjecting data controllers and data processors to effective regulatory oversight.”
The statement further quoted the court as saying, “Looking at the recitals of the Guidance Notice, there is every indication that the Guidance Notice is also aimed at protecting the privacy and security of data subjects, thus bringing the registration requirement of the Guidance Notice within the protective shield of Section 45 of the 1999 Constitution.”
According to the commission, the court also held that, “Remarkably, Section 63 of the Data Protection Act provides that the provisions of the Act shall prevail over any other law inconsistent with its provisions on matters relating to the processing of personal data.”
Reacting to the judgment, the commission described the decision as a significant boost to Nigeria’s data protection regime.
“The Commission appreciates the ground-breaking efforts of the court towards the advancement of the jurisprudence relating to data accountability in Nigeria, as eloquently demonstrated in this case,” the statement read.
Following the ruling, Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner and chief executive officer, had directed every Data Controller and Processor of Major Importance that had yet to comply with the registration requirement to register without delay.
The commission warned that entities failing to comply with the registration requirement could face legal consequences.
“Failure to register creates serious legal liabilities under the law, while compliance with registration requirements builds public trust and safeguards the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects in Nigeria,” the statement added.
The University of Nigeria (UNN) is set to partner with The Roxettes Group to establish a research and innovation centre focused on artificial intelligence (AI), smart and green mobility, and digital technologies, in a move aimed at strengthening research, entrepreneurship and technology-driven industrial development.
Chairman of The Roxettes Group, Arc. Dr. Kaycee Orji-Kelechi, announced the proposed partnership while delivering his acceptance speech after receiving an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa) during the university’s convocation ceremony.
The proposed facility, to be known as the Dr. Kaycee Orji Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Smart/Green Mobility and Digital Innovation, is expected to provide a platform for research, innovation and collaboration between academia and industry, with a focus on developing commercially viable solutions to local and continental challenges.
Orji-Kelechi said the initiative was conceived as a long-term investment in human capital and technological advancement rather than simply another physical infrastructure project.
He said the vision was to position the University of Nigeria among Africa’s leading institutions in artificial intelligence, smart mobility and digital innovation through research, entrepreneurship and technology development.
According to him, the centre will house five specialised laboratories covering artificial intelligence and machine learning, smart and green mobility, robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT), digital finance and financial technology, as well as cloud computing and advanced data centre technologies.
He also announced plans for the proposed Kaycee Orji Founders Innovation Challenge, an annual programme intended to identify, mentor and support innovative ideas from students, researchers and academic staff with the potential to become scalable businesses.
“Every student of this University should know that a great idea conceived in a classroom should have a pathway to becoming a patent, a startup, a global enterprise, and a solution that transforms society,” he said.
Orji-Kelechi disclosed that preliminary conceptual work on the project had commenced, with architectural and engineering designs being prepared by K.KH Contractors Ltd., a subsidiary of The Roxettes Group.
He added that discussions with the university would begin on identifying a suitable site for the project, while a comprehensive proposal containing architectural drawings, engineering designs and an implementation framework would be submitted after completion of the design phase.
Reflecting on his career, Orji-Kelechi said Africa must move beyond consuming innovation to creating it through investment in manufacturing, technology and entrepreneurship.
“We have pursued one simple vision: that Nigeria and Africa must move from consumption to production; from importing innovation to creating it; and from waiting for opportunities to building them,” he said.
He urged graduating students to see their education as a foundation for solving societal challenges through innovation, leadership and enterprise, adding that he remained committed to promoting industrial development, youth empowerment and sustainable economic growth.
The proposed collaboration forms part of broader efforts to strengthen university-industry partnerships, which are increasingly seen as critical to improving research commercialisation, innovation capacity and technology-led economic development in Nigeria.
National Population Commission (NPC) has announced commencement of full digital registration of births and deaths through the VitalReg platform, which became operational nationwide on July 1, 2026.
Chidi Ezeoke, federal commissioner representing Anambra, disclosed this in Awka during a press conference to announce commencement of full digital birth and death registration under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system and the marking of World Population Day commemorated every July 11.
He revealed that a total of 131 registration centres had been opened in the 21 local government headquarters and several communities in the state, adding that more centres would be opened later.
Ezeoke described the initiative as a major milestone in Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system, to ensure every birth and death in the country was captured through a digitally enabled registration platform.
“It builds on the launch of the E-CRVS system and the inauguration of the National Coordination Committee on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics by President Bola Tinubu on Nov. 8, 2023.
“A total of 4,011 functional registration centres has been established across the 774 LGAs of the federation and the commission iswas working to expand the number to about 8,000.
“In Anambra, 131 registration centres have been opened in the 21 local government headquarters and several communities. More centres had been proposed for the state,” he said.
According to the Commissioner, the VitalReg platform would provide faster registration services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, reduced paperwork and waiting time, improved data validation and a more secure national CRVS database.
While noting that the platform would serve as a foundational database to support other national data systems and strengthen interoperability across Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem, Ezeoke urged Nigerians and other stakeholders to support the initiative by ensuring prompt registration of all births and deaths.
Speaking on the 2026 World Population Day themed, “Realising the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People – Today and for the Future”, the Commissioner called for greater investment in education, healthcare, skills development, decent employment opportunities and youth participation in governance for sustainable national development.
Earlier, Mr Obiakonwa Okagwu, state director, NPC, said the occasion served as a reminder of great opportunities provided to harness young people’s capabilities, which he said would shape the future of the country when adequately harnessed.
He called on residents to take registration of births and deaths as national responsibility, just as he urged the media to take the message on civil registration to all parts of the State.
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