Let’s face it; we’ve had better years than 2008. The sluggish U.S. economy, rising gas prices, and the housing crisis have many businesses worried about maintaining profits. Some businesses have already felt the pressure with stagnant growth and slashed marketing budgets. Others will be affected dramatically, but businesses that have built strong Web presence with investments in the right technologies and online marketing strategies will be well positioned to survive an economic downturn. Here’s why:

Shifts in consumer spending

Rising gas prices; they make us cringe every time we drive by a gas station. Yet, online marketers should be bullish to hear that rising gas prices are shifting consumer spending online. A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive, showed that one third (33%) of U.S. adults claimed they would rather shop online than in-person due to the high price of gasoline. Many online marketers are already taking advantage of high prices at the pump by enticing consumers with free shipping and return promotions. The NY Times recently published an article stating that big retailers have seen double-digit sales growth online, because consumers are increasingly going online to save on gas:

Online offers the measurability of ROI

Doing business on the Web offers measurability you just can’t get offline. Offline, you don’t always know what marketing was effective and what wasn’t. You may have heard the saying, “I know half of my marketing works, I just don’t know what half.” Online businesses say otherwise. They have the transparency and the ability to measure the return of each marketing initiative. They know where and how to spend their money wisely and effectively. In fact, many increase investments in strategic tools like targeting and multivariable testing during economic slumps due to the high ROI.

Ability to enter global markets

With the right technology in place, businesses can expand globally to offset the effects of declining consumer spending in the U.S. Companies with robust WCM or targeting tools have the capability to quickly create and deliver multi-lingual, localized sites or serve targeted content by the geographical location of a Web visitor, making it easier to tap into new and lucrative markets.

Focusing on the brand

Even with declining sales, online businesses have built (and should build) brand relationships with their customers online. As consumer spend less, companies will have to work harder in creating brand loyalty and recognition to compete for less demand. Companies ahead of the curve have implemented blogs, forums, games, videos, and other interactive applications to engage and maintain a dialogue with consumers. If you haven’t been to Taco Bell’s website, you’ll find that they’ve created some fun ways to get people to come to their site with their “Rap Name Creator” and “Taco Fu” game, just to name a few.  The tactics are quite savvy if you ask me. It keeps their brand fresh and top of mind once consumer spending picks up.

Business agility

Lastly, online businesses with the right technical and online marketing foundation have the ability to respond to dramatic changes in the marketplace quickly and cost-effectively. Being able to rapidly rollout a landing page to support an ad-hoc campaign or respond to a competitive move is critical, especially in an unpredictable economy.