With the whiff of recovery in the air, businesses - especially smaller ones - seem to have stepped up their hunt for new business and their efforts to retain existing customers. And they're going online to do it, according to new research from the Princeton, NJ-based Kelsey Group. Kelsey's latest study finds that online advertising has risen from 22% to 36.8% of the marketing budget of smaller companies. The analysts were surprised by the growth in online advertising, given that there was no indication 12 months ago that businesses were considering the shift. The study also notes that businesses are getting smarter, with more targeted advertising, the use of video and contextual targeting ads. Smaller businesses may be spending less overall on advertising, but their internet spend is soaring.