eMarketer's Stephanie Reese posted... "In 2011, 68.2% of US internet users, or 158.1 million people, will be watching video online at least once a month. By 2015, 76% of the internet audience, or 195.5 million people, will be viewing video regularly online."  But, what does this mean to publishers?  Get on board or get lost.

Nielsen Online & Webvisible conducted a survey polling nearly 4,000 people in the U.S. asking about their habits and methods in finding local businesses. Their results revealed a considerable disconnect between the way consumers look for local business and the way business owners are advertising.  I always like to share stats when I find those that apply to online sales.  Overall sales people fail to embrace these stats and use them as ammunition in the field.

Finding new leads to prospect is not usually the problem for most sales reps. The issue is how to turn that lead into a commission rich client. Many books have been written about this topic, but I feel that most sales pros simply are missing one foundational issue in this race to success…don’t talk to strangers!

What are your readers/customers searching for online? Answering this question should be the first step of any effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plan.  But, for many business owners and/or publishers, this logical occurrence is plagued by wrong assumptions.  Publishers simply go down the wrong path and throw off their chances of success.

In early December, I reached out to over 100 business owners and publishers via email and asked them this question: “What is your number one internet resolution for your business in 2011?”

Here are the top 10 most common replies.