Last month Google announced that they were testing flat-rate pricing for small, local advertisers. NetBiz.com has been doing this for seven years. Apparently, Google also recognizes the value that flat-rate pricing gives small-business owners. Because it is a test for Google, they are only offering it in the San Diego and San Francisco markets. NetBiz offers it in all markets.
The idea behind flat-rate pricing for AdWords has been a hot-button issue for several years. AdWords-Qualified companies come down on both sides of the argument. The critics of flat-rate pricing generally say that it just disguises the true cost and efficiency of Google AdWords (not to mention Yahoo and Bing’s advertising platforms). Most of these critics are companies who work with large Fortune 500 type clients who have budgets in the millions of dollars.
Smaller advertisers, especially the mom-and-pop shops, find flat-rate pricing beneficial. Knowing what your bill is going to be each month is extremely helpful when working with a limited budget. In addition, most small businesses are glad to pay search engine marketing professionals to run their online campaigns for them.
Some AdWords resellers have felt threatened by the fact that Google is offering flat-rate advertising in certain markets. This is not the end for AdWords resellers, however. It’s not yet entirely certain that Google will roll this out across all markets, and there is still a great deal of value in working with online marketing professionals with experience in the industry. The market continues to evolve and companies need to strengthen their offering in order to stay competitive.
Lately NetBiz has been diversifying our product offerings. We have offered Semi-Custom Web sites for several years, and recently we quietly launched Search Engine Optimization services as well. As we continue to grow, we will also be offering other new and exciting products. As the market evolves, NetBiz will continue to evolve with it and remain a market leader.
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