A lot of people mistakenly assume online advertising is primarily only for online products or services.  I mean… how do your market something online that customers traditionally only purchase offline?  How do you create a message for consumers that gets them off the computer and into a store?

One such product that comes to mind is the car.  I think it's safe to assume that most people want to at least see a car in person before they buy it.  And usually they don't just want to see it.  They want to step in, turn the key, and take it for a drive.  The only problem is… driving a car online falls into the realm of difficult.

But that's not stopping the automotive industry from spending billions of dollars for online advertisements.  In fact, online auto advertising is expected to double next year to upwards of $2.5 billion.  According to reports cited by ClickZ, that's after double and triple spending this year.  Cars.com president Mitch Golub goes as far as to say that the ROI from online advertising is better for the auto industry than radio, mail, and billboard advertising.

So if auto makers and car dealers can get their customers into dealerships to spend thousands of dollars on a car, why can't you get your customers into your store to spend money?  The answer is, of course, you can.  Whether it's setting up a online storefront for informational purposes only or simply an online advertising program featured on existing third-party websites, there's a way and means for every business to market their products online.  You don't have to spend billions of dollars to see results, either.  Analyze your existing advertising budget and pull funds from other less successful campaigns if necessary.

If you're not advertising online, you're letting a huge opportunity drive right out the door.