The Internet – Don't Turn Your Back on this Amazing Sales and Marketing Tool

OK the internet. We know it so well; we use it way too much during the day, like when we post pictures of our food, or recording our pet cats doing really goofy things. There was even a time, literally, when anyone who was anyone was taking a shower of ice down their backs for charity. It may seem like the internet is turning into mindless entertainment. But, to the business owner, it’s anything but mindless. It is turning business, sales, profits, and customer service on its ear.

Here’s one example. I ordered a pair of shoes on the internet. They came within a few days, exactly as I ordered them. I wore them, but they hurt. I went online, filled out a refund slip, printed out a return label, wrapped the shoes in the box, and the bag it was shipped in, dropped it off at the local UPS drop center, and within one day, my payment was back in my account. What does that mean for our brick and mortar shoe stores who will haggle you if you’ve actually worn the shoes outside.

We all understand how the internet has impacted business, but I think we still need to pay more attention to some seemingly obvious requirements. The latest example is that political TV ads are proving less effective than a simple 140-character line in twitter.

While we think we know and understand the internet, I don’t know if we truly understand how pervasive it is in our society:

Amazon, the elephant in room, had 20% of ecommerce sales during Christmas (2015) and almost $100 billion in total volume.

Our mobile device is the way we now do research, shop, and compare prices.

The American consumer spends almost 3 hours per day on their mobile device, representing over 50 % of internet activity. Shopping, searching, and comparing are critical aspects of any marketing campaign.

Consider the new internet sharing networks; it’s estimated that sharing networks, led by Airbnb and Uber, will reach $350 billion dollars by 2025. However, whole industries like travel, business services, job placement, product sales (Amazon), real estate, etc., are being forced to transform as these new tools emerge.

Internet funding sites, like Crowdfunding and Angel Investors, are dramatically impacting small business financing.

Recognizing the importance of the internet, AND USING IT, is a must for any business owner. Specifically:

You need to have constant attention and professional help in both updating and maximizing your internet potential. Every month, it seems, the internet gets more savvy, and what you learned is new now. Like:

Are you integrating E-mail blasts with other tools like web-site links and social media postings?

Are you including graphics, videos, and other presentation tools in your content?

Are you developing or hiring the proper professional support to execute programs (a professional can tell you the best time and way to capture your target audience)?

Are you developing techniques to encourage feedback and communication with customers?

On the internet, you have flexibility to see instant results and then adapt. However, you must pay attention to the details and continue to measure and test (we had a client who was having low sales results; we simply modified shipping charges, initiated more promotions, and sent newsletters, and their business tripled).

A challenge of the internet is that it must be an integrated effort, rather than a series of separate activities. Goals, home page, links, SEO, strategy, social media, communication with customers, customer service, and pricing – all this must all be considered together.
The internet provides numerous operational tools to make businesses more productive and profitable. Google analytics, CRM (customer relationship management) systems, targeting, and e-mail systems are among the most used tools.

Conclusion

We often give lip service to the importance of the internet, and we think that it may be becoming a frivolous pastime, but don’t turn your back on it. Why focus on declining practices, such as brick and mortar retail stores or traditional advertising, when you can participate in a new, evolving, strategy with almost unlimited potential!!