The internet has changed how we buy.
It has changed how we as consumers use our time, what we give our attention to, who we trust, and the number of purchasing choices available. Here’s what you can do about it.
5 internet marketing basics for today
1. Get Centered
With all the hype about internet marketing technologies, it’s very easy to get distracted from our core personal and/or business values and tasks. Whether we’re considering a website, or Facebook, or Twitter, or any of the other bright shiny internet tools, these technologies are only just tools and not ends. They can be used effectively or not depending on the needs of the business and our market niche. One very simple, yet rigorous way of thinking this through is Forrester’s POST process, People, Objectives, Strategy, Technology. While developed for Social Media, it applies equally well to all internet marketing. More here.
2. Listen
The single most unique and powerful attribute of the Internet is its two-way vs. one way communication. Yet, the traditional, one-way marketing model is still deeply entrenched among internet marketers. Old marketing habits are extremely hard to break, and they causes a huge number of internet marketing efforts to fail. Google colleagues call these habits the HiPPO syndrome, i.e. developing websites and content based on the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion.
These days, to be present on the web means to make internet marketing decisions based not so much on opinions within the organization. Being present means first listening to the needs of prospects, customers, online visitors, and leads. Because of its two-way nature, the internet is well suited for listening. More here.
3. Develop content that solves problems
Having centered on our core values, and having listened to our niche,we are now in a position to generate content that our niche will now really want to find and read. And developing a web presence in this way is not a one time effort. It is a continuous process of listening, and developing fresh content that our niche cares about. It’s about offering content that builds trust and the desire to buy, because it solves a real problem or felt need.
4. Choose, develop, and optimize the appropriate technologies.
At this point, technologies will often just fall into place. Whether the choice be a website and or email campaign, or social media tools, we focus on and allocate resources to what is important. We gain the confidence to ignore the hype about all the other technologies in which people say we should be investing. More on allocating internet marketing resources.
5. Measure what works and take effective action.
Again, because of the two-way nature of the web we no longer need to drive down the street with our eyes shut Tools like Google Analytics can provide continuous and valuable feedback on how people are responding to our web presence in real time. When properly configured and with simplified reporting web analytics can focus our attention on key business performance indicators, Good web analysis and reporting then becomes grist for HiPPOS to making more effective strategic decisions to continuously improve customer satisfaction and the business bottom line. More on web analytics.
Once you have each of these five basics in place, you need the machine capable of continuously engaging your niche with remarkable content and converting them to leads and customers. Don’t let any sales person pushing Yellow Pages ads, SEO, email marketing, websites, TV spots, or magazine advertising tell you otherwise. As stand-alone tactics, these marketing vehicles don’t deliver. But as carefully planned parts of a well orchestrated, integrated strategy, they are capable of delivering business results.
Take a look at where you are in the marketing process and consider next steps with a free website evaluation.
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When you have a meal, it’s nice to know you are getting flavor, nutrition, and enjoyment. When you spend money on internet marketing, it’s nice to know you are getting back something to move your business forward. 
When I started building websites, I used the traditional and still dominant marketing model known as The Marketing Mix. This model considers four factors aimed at a target market. The four factors are product, price, place, and promotion. The assumption is that if each of these ingredients are correct, the marketing activity will more likely hit the bulls eye. This model worked extremely well in mass media like print, radio, and broadcast TV.