6. United Kingdom

The United Kingdom holds big potential for using the Internet for marketing because the Internet culture is well integrated, there is high penetration of broadband, and UK users are very “mobile” savvy. The United Kingdom ranks eighth in the world for Internet use. In 2011, more than 82 percent of the UK’s population used the Internet, and almost 48 percent also used Facebook. The United Kingdom seems to be Europe’s most opportune market to communicate via those two media. The 82 percent is to close to 51.5 million people, a huge growth from the 15.4 million users in 2000.

That said, if you are tempted to market in the United Kingdom because you believe a common language and some shared history with the United States make the United Kingdom easy to enter, think again. The United Kingdom is fiercely competitive in all sectors of Internet marketing, especially search. The country is home to many leading global search engine marketing firms, indeed some of the pioneers of the industry. Many leading firms from other countries, in particular the United States, have had offices in the United Kingdom for years. You would be well advised to enter the UK market with your complete arsenal of sophisticated information and tools; you also should pay close attention to the fine distinctions between the U.S. and UK langua....