In today’s economic environment getting found by customers online or in person is critical to their sustainability. And with a little help from me and my friends I might be able to make that happen for you through online marketing.

Online marketing, also referred to as web marketing, Internet marketing, or eMarketing, is the marketing of your company’s product or services over the World Wide Web (or as most people call it – the Internet) so you can get found by customers.

Companies have been using traditional or outbound marketing since the dawn of advertising to find customers. They have used techniques such as cold calling, print advertising, television ads, junk mail, spam and trade shows to get their message in front of the right person.

However, technology has helped make these techniques less effective, less successful, and ultimately more expensive. Caller ID blocks cold calls and telemarketers, digital video recorders make television advertising less effective, spam filters block mass emails, and tools like RSS are making print and display advertising less successful.

Of course, it is still possible to get a message out through these channels, but it takes more time and effort. Did I mention it also costs more money? And in today’s landscape spending more is not an option.

Instead of interrupting people with television ads, people and companies create videos that potential customers want to see. Instead of buying display ads in print publications, people create their own blog that people subscribe to and read on a daily basis. Instead of cold calling, companies create useful content and tools so that people call them looking for more information.

Online marketing is where you help yourself get found by people already learning about companies like yours and shopping in your industry.  Your website needs to attract visitors naturally through the search engines, the blogosphere, and the social media sites.  In order to do this, you need to set up your website so it is optimized and ready to handle the new demands of today’s consumer.

The game has changed. Are you ready to play ball?

Give me a call at 208.995.9437 or contact me at mshifley@gmail.com for more information to discuss how I can help you or your company.