The internet has taken the world by storm and has almost turned into another parallel universe of some sorts. Today any business or entity that does not have an internet existence cannot survive. It is absolutely important to make sure that your business has an internet presence. If you are a small business owner then you might think that an internet presence isn't extremely important for you.

However you are missing the point. Statistics show that one out of every five, that is 20% of the searches done on Google, are local searches. If people are looking for a local alternate to what you provide in your business, and you do not show up on the results, you are losing potential business.

Furthermore, the number of people visiting Facebook has gone up to a point where it is even more visited than Google. 50% of all Facebook users visit the site and spend at least half an hour there. All of these people can be your potential clients, if only your product is marketed to them well.

In an effort to do the same you can begin with creating a Facebook page. Facebook allows users to create pages that have URL addresses and represent any business or entity. These pages can then be shared by the various Facebook users, and to add to it, users can join these pages and receive periodical updates too. By creating a Facebook page, you would eliminate the need for a website since a small business can survive with an internet presence of just a Facebook page.

How to go about this is pretty simple. You begin by creating a personal account on Facebook. This is your own account and it represents you as a person, using this account you would create a fan page for your business. This is the page that would represent your business to the rest of the world. After creating the page, you spread it around by sharing it with fellow Facebook members.

Similarly you need to create a Google Places listing too. Google Places is responsible for providing local content to users when they enter relevant search string. It is essential for you to cash upon this as well. Begin by searching for your business name with location on Google. Then you can create a Google Places account and fill in your listing. The more information that you add, the more dynamic and retrievable your listing would become.

Add comprehensive information about your business, the timings, services etc. be certain to add some pictures too. By creating such a detailed account you would ensure that your page receives a substantial number of search hits. If you already have a website address then you can add it to your Google Places listing, if not then add your Facebook fan page address to it which you created earlier. The entire process would interlinks the two presences and provide your small business with the necessary online presence.