Digital Marketing Lancashire (DML) have responded to new research which has found that most small to medium companies aim to spend more on online marketing this year.

According to SMB Internet Marketing Survey, a collaborate report released by BrightLocal and ChamberOfCommerce.com, 37% of SMBs intend to increase their online marketing budget in 2015, while 47% remain on the fence.

The survey, released this month, asked a number of small to medium sized businesses about their experience with internet marketing. They found that 75% of companies believe it is effective while 32% consider it “very effective” in terms of attracting new customers.

BrightLocal stated: “Attitudes towards internet marketing have brightened over the last 12 months. 75% of SMBs are now positive about the effects of internet marketing compared to 68% in 2013. Only 4% do not do any internet marketing vs. 8% last year.

“It is this increase in trust towards internet marketing that has persuaded 37% of SMBs to up their spending levels over the next 12 months. It shows that if more SMBs can be convinced about the effectiveness of an internet marketing campaign, then it is likely that they too will spend more of their budget in online channels.”

The majority of those surveyed were located in North America (95%), however, DML, a digital marketing company located in Lancashire, believes there is a similar appetite in the UK in particular.

A spokesman for DML said: “Having an online presence and marketing yourself properly is a must-have in 2015 for almost all businesses so it’s no great shock to see that most SMEs consider it effective and many will likely up their budget in 2015. Getting a strong presence on search engines and social is becoming more difficult with rising competition, and as a response most businesses, in the UK and overseas, will need to focus more of their budget on the internet.

“If you’re in the UK and you want to ensure maximum exposure for your business, we have an experienced and enthusiastic team who can help you to rank for industry-related keywords.”

DML provide a range of professional services, including pay per click advertising, search engine optimisation, social media management, email marketing and website development. They’re based in Lancashire, England and have years of experience, working with clients of all sizes in various sectors. Visit http://www.internetmarketinglancashire.co.uk/ for more info.