Chicago Web Site Marketing - Internet's New Super City

 

Forget Silicon Valley, the hottest town for web-based trends is the Windy City.

 

With more per-capita web-based start up companies than anywhere else in the United States, Chicago has squarely claimed its space on the world wide web.  This has yielded tremendous growth in web related fields, giving rise to new jobs and increased revenue flow within the city.  This is seen most drastically in the sizable but poorly understood field of web site marketing.

 

For the layman website marketing might seem a vague job description, but internet users come in contact with its results on a daily basis.  Whenever a user accesses the web, whether through search engines, user generated websites, or even a home email page, advertisement space is consistently provided.  The demand for these marketing spaces is only increasing, as internet use and search engines are swiftly becoming part of the American quotidian.

 

Three years ago Debbie, a Chicago housewife, wasn’t even confident directing her browser toward her email inbox.  Now, from home she’s running a successful internet marketing company.  “So many of my friends were finding such exciting opportunities, and I’d hear them chatting about ‘user generated content’ and ‘search engine optimization’,” she laughs.  “I didn’t know what they were talking about, but I knew I wanted to learn more.”

 

With a few classes and a lot of trial and error Debbie launched her own company, specializing in connecting websites that exhibit traditional creative user generated content with companies that advertise on the sites.  “I love to find sites that have creative content and help them find more marketing opportunities.  I get to surf, and to make sure that the web sites I love have a chance to flourish.  I think the smaller home-grown websites sometimes need a little boost when competing for internet marketing with the larger search engines.”

 

Debbie’s story is not unique for Chicago.  People of all ages are finding that what was once a nascent web marketing community has grown into a powerful industry that provides excellent opportunities.  Charlene, a friend of Debbie’s who is also a housewife-turned-internet-entrepreneur, points out “a lot of people think of Chicago and don’t see it as a hotbed for internet marketing.  They’re missing out on online marketing in Chicago.”