Internet marketing is becoming increasingly important for SMEs in the UK and further afield.

That is according to Linus Gregoriadis of e-consultancy, who points out that local search is making it far easier for smaller firms to advertise their products to a vast audience.

"Google is taking local search very seriously and websites such as Yell.com give companies an excellent opportunity to market themselves over the internet.

"No matter what the sector, companies are missing a trick if they don't have any kind of online marketing capabilities."

Even if companies don't sell goods online themselves, they can still reach millions of people who use the internet to research products. With the prevalence of social sites, online retail is booming and people often rely on online reviews to find out about a product.

Meanwhile, a recent study by ZenithOptimedia showed that online advertising is likely to grow by 85 per cent over the 2006 to 2009 period.

Of course, firms need to have the right IT support in place.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent)