Part 1:  The Current Reality

At this point, almost everyone is being affected by the worst recession since the great depression.  Both small and large businesses alike are scrambling to cut losses and find a way back to profitability.

There is wide agreement that advertising is the lifeblood of business.  Yet, advertising itself is going through a major metamorphosis.  Let's just look at two key factors:
•    Total advertising spend
•    Shifts in advertising spend to other media, such as the Internet & mobile devices

First, let's consider total advertising spend. 
Forecasted total advertizing spend for 2009, according to the 2008 Starcom MediaVest Group's Annual Media Futures Report, is predicted to decrease a record 2.4 percent.  This is the largest year-over-year decrease ever predicted.  In my opinion, this forecast may even be optimistic.  For example, Morgan Stanley Research recently published its analysis of U.S. Ad Spend versus the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  From its data, if the GDP year-over-year growth is flat (2009/2008) the ad spend could decline 4%.  Couple this with the U.S. Federal Reserve's forecast that the economy won't see even a moderate recovery until 2010 and a gloomy picture emerges.   

Second, let's consider shifts in advertising spend to other media. 
Almost every forecast is predicting advertising expenditures to decrease in traditional media, including print, radio, and television, and migrate to the Internet.  In fact, almost six out of ten national advertisers polled indicated they intended to increase their Internet budget in 2009.  For example, according to Advertising Age, February 21, 2009, GM's 117-page plan included a statement that the company "will continue to lead the industry in digital and search–marketing capability."  They also quoted a GM spokeswoman's elaboration, "You'll continue to see more digital and social media activation as integral parts of our advertising and marketing efforts, because it's cost-effective, efficient and allows for deeper customer engagement on their terms."  GM is not alone in their drive to the Internet.  In the same article, Ad Age quoted a Chrysler spokeswoman, "We are focused on our Interactive lead strategy.  We increased our leads from 270,000 in 2007 to 605,000 in 2008 … We made it easier for customers to submit a request for information on our own Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge site…"

The current reality is that Internet marketing, advertising, and public relations is out performing their traditional counterparts.  However, there are numerous Internet marketing, advertising, and public relations campaign methodologies.  This begs a key question:  What is the right Internet Marketing Plan for my business?

Part 2:  The Internet Marketing Plan

It is widely accepted that the Internet has become the "go to" source to find products and services. For this reason and in today's difficult economy, it's critical for every company to utilize the Internet to generate sales and/or leads to fuel their business. Whether you're an enterprise company or a small business, you should have an Internet marketing plan.; Obviously, a larger company requires a more sophisticated and comprehensive Internet marketing plan. However, independent of company size, the central element of any Internet marketing plan is a search engine optimized Website. This being the case, let's examine what it means to have a search engine optimized Website.

What makes a good Website?
The answer to this question is relatively simple: It needs to be equal to or better than your competitors' Websites and it needs to be easily found in the search engines. There are all types of Websites and generally, the price of the Website is directly proportional to the level of sophistication. It is possible to spend millions of dollars developing a Website. Good examples of a multimillion-dollar Websites are Amazon and Dell. These Websites contain some of the most sophisticated technology available. However, the technology has only one goal: Meet the company's online sales objectives.

The complete answer to what makes a good Website is three fold:
1.    It must be equal to or better that your competitors
2.    It must be built to achieve your company's online objectives
3.    It must be easily found in the search engines for keywords that your target market is likely to use

If it doesn't meet all three criteria, it isn't a "good" Website. No matter how attractive and sophisticated a Website may be, it must meet the above three critical criteria to actually do a company much good. Think about it. Let's assume you have an attractive Website and when people see it they usually say "Wow." That's really a "so what" if it isn't easily found in the search engines. The reason for this is that search engines account for almost 90% of all the found sites on the Internet. That means that even a company like Amazon must be easily found in the search engines. Do a simple search for any thing that Amazon sells, for example "gardening books" and you will find them on the first page of Google. If the result isn't in the natural listings it will be found in the paid listing (i.e. listings a company pays for when someone clicks on their advertisement).  They do this because even with their immense branding and online presence, they completely understand the power of search engine marketing. In the example I just gave, as of March 8, 2009, Amazon had the number one paid listing in Google and the number one natural listing.

Do you have to spend millions to have a "good" Website?
The answer for most of the companies that will read this blog is no.  You will need to spend whatever it takes to meet or beat the competition and be easily found in the search engines.

Can I do it myself?
For most companies, even those with Information Technology people on staff, the answer is no. The techniques of building a competitive Website that is easily found in the search engines isn't just a technology challenge. Technology plays a role, but it also requires:
•    A thorough understanding of user friendly, as well as attractive, Web design
•    Online copy writing that compels the target market to take action once they get to the site
•    A thorough knowledge of search engine optimization

Obviously, while a search engine optimized Website is the central element of any Internet Marketing Plan, there are numerous other elements to consider. These include:

•    Social Media Marketing
•    Mobile Marketing
•    Online/Traditional Public Relations & Branding
•    Shopping Comparison Site Advertising
•    Email Marketing
•    Integrated Media Advertising (i.e. integrating Print/Radio/TV with Internet marketing)
•    Blog Development & Promotion
•    Audio/Video Production
•    360's Panoramic Views
•    Podcasting & Promotion
•    Contextual Internet Marketing (example:  a hotel banner ad on a travel site)
•    International & Multicultural Internet Marketing

All elements of the Internet Marketing Plan need to be responsive to the company's objectives. Some companies may stop with a search engine optimized Website, while others may utilize some or all of the elements delineated above.

Once again, it's not about technology. It's about using technology combined with marketing savvy to meet the company's return on investment (ROI) objectives.

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