THE ESSENCE, EVOLUTION, AND ROLE OF INTERNET MARKETING IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

The rapid development of the digital economy, the deepening of globalization processes,and fundamental shifts in consumer behavior necessitate the reorganization of marketing activities in smallbusiness entities based on modern digital technologies. Today, digital marketing has become a key factorin strengthening the market position of small businesses, enhancing their competitiveness, and ensuringsustainable development, as it enables them to reach a wide audience, establish eff ective and personalizedcommunication with target customers, and analyze performance results in real time under conditions of limitedfi nancial, time, and human resources. This paper examines the essence of digital marketing, its evolutionarystages of development, and its role in the digital economy, while also clearly delineating the distinctions betweendigital marketing and internet marketing, as these conceptual diff erences are methodologically signifi cant fordeveloping scientifi cally grounded mechanisms to improve the use of digital marketing technologies in smallbusinesses.