I find it interesting the adoption of online marketing over the years. I have been selling online marketing solutions since 1999 and the adoption bell curve is pretty well right on and has certainly affected the ease and challenge of the selling cycle. Back in the late 90′s websites were still in the early adoption stage. It was not an easy sell to everyone but there were a lot of companies, especially the companies that had a product to sell online, that took the plunge and invested in a website. At this point typical early adopter stage a lot of suppliers charged high prices as few new the true costs to build a website and some just took advantage of their customers.
Then in between 2005-06 websites got into the full early majority stages, everyone began to see the importance of a website and the critical role it played in their overall marketing strategy. Once websites got into the stage it was not long before online marketing tactics like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay per click (PPC) advertising began being main stream and entering the early majority stage. In Canada we are getting a lot of interest for these tactics whereas in 2004 there were several companies in our Province that focused on this area buy abandoned it due to lack of sales. Timing is everything. The next evolution is social media, which is still in the early adopter stage but my guess it won’t be long before everyone figures out the value of social media and it becomes main stream. Then what next, we will wait and see.
In conclusion, if you are not treating your website as a pivotal part of your overall marketing strategy you are behind the times. If you have not figured out the importance of being found on the Internet and increasing visitation to your website (SEO and PPC) you are behind the times. If you think that social media is a waste of time chances are you will be left behind there too. 3 strikes and you may be out don’t miss the next pitch adopt these new means of marketing because they are here to stay.
