Santa isn’t the only one making a list this time of year. Many people who have lost their job or are facing job cuts are looking at their household budgets for ways to reduce expenses. Many things that are non-essential will be eliminated but what about internet access?

In our connected world, web access has become an essential service for many people. We use the web for so many things: news, entertainment, product information, connecting with friends and family, job searches, education, buying and selling products and services – new or used and the list goes on. On home computers and mobile devices like smart-phones, iPhones and Blackberry’s. Many surveys have concluded that internet access will be one of the last things cut from our household budgets. It’s just too important! Newspaper and magazine subscriptions will go, cable or satellite TV services will be reduced or eliminated entirely, satellite radio subscription will take a hit as well. It has been predicted that there will be a mass migration to the web of people who will spend increasing amounts of time online. What does this mean for advertisers?

A reduction in traditional media spending and an increase or at least a reallocation of marketing and advertising dollars to online initiatives and strategies. After all, online is where the eyes and ears of the purchasing public will be. To maximize your marketing dollars you will need to think seriously about making this migration as well. When we look past the job cuts at major enterprises we see that many are actually hiring people into their online divisions or departments. They can see that their web based strategies over the next few years will be critical to retaining and growing their customer base. Small and medium enterprises will be no exception. Regardless of your size, if your customers are moving and taking their dollars with them, you need to move with them to survive the current economic situation. When the economy turns around, and it will eventually, you will need to be positioned to to ensure that your brand will in the forefront.