Most of your larger companies have recognized the value of brand recognition. McDonalds has their arches, Goodyear has its blimp and AOL has its distinctive pyramid. While many people maintain that the Internet creates a level playing field with the larger companies, brand recognition is often overlooked.
Larger companies do the majority of their advertising offline.
Sure, they will reference their web sites in their ads, but are not completely dependant on web advertising. Net based entrepreneurs must also create this brand recognition if they hope to succeed. This can be done in a number of ways. Many people who have local businesses, can promote their web site with their web address on their letter head or business card, but these are not the people we're talking about here. We're referring to people trying to compete on the national level.