Taming the Internet: A Beginner's Guide to Internet Marketing

by Barbara A. Alba, President

WellStar Marketing, Inc.

The Internet was first conceived in 1962 by an MIT geek named Licklider.  He envisioned a space-age “Galactic Network” that would allow people from any location to access information and programs on a computer.  Remember, at that time, computers were still a new concept and the idea of have a personal computer in your very own home was still decades away.  Still, old Licklider had a vision, and with the help of some equally brainy guys from the Department of Defense, NASA, Stanford and a very young and aggressive IBM, the vision slowing became a reality over the next ten years. 

Initial applications were limited to interchanges within the government, the academic world and the world’s libraries.  But by 1995, the internet had its watershed moment when the National Science Foundation ended its sponsorship of the Internet backbone.  That was the point when the World Wide Web became a completely commercial enterprise (much to the chagrin of academics and conspiracy theorists everywhere) and entrepreneurs and opportunists everywhere began to spend every waking hours figuring out how to capitalize on the new cultural phenomenon.    

It’s interesting to recall this not so recent history when discussing internet marketing because it reminds us just how new the Internet really is.  The technology has been evolving at breathtaking speed and only those who are truly at the “bleeding edge” of the revolution can predict where we will be a year from now (let alone another 10 years from now). 

So for those who still turn to their kids for advice on “how to work this darn computer,” take heart.  Yes, there is a lot to learn, and yes, you do need to become more “Internet savvy” to truly compete in today’s business world.  But taking the time to learn a few simple concepts can help you on your path toward mastery (okay, maybe not mastery; how about a good solid start?) in Internet marketing. 

The Basics

It goes without saying that a professionally designed website is step one in capitalizing on the Internet as a marketing tool.  Once your site is built, it has to be found by the major search engines (i.e., Google, AOL, MSN, etc.) that people use to look things up on the Internet.  And here is where things get interesting.

Virtually all search engines display two types of listings when someone does an online search, let’s say, for a technology firm in Philadelphia:

  • The Organic or Non-Paid Listings, that the search engine ranks based on a wide range of factors that measure their “relevancy” to the search terms listed;
  • The Sponsored or Paid Listings:  premium positions that are “sold” by the search engines to relevant companies who bid the highest price for those particular search terms or key words. 

Getting your company, business or practice listed at the top of any search results is the key, since studies show that 80%  – 90% of searchers will not look beyond the first page (note:  there are over 13 million search results for “Technology Firm, Philadelphia, PA.”) So your options are to:

  • Maximize the “relevance” of your website so that the search engine will range you high in the organic listing, OR
  • Secure a Paid or Sponsored Listing on the key word searches that are important to you.

 

 

The Slippery Slope of Organic List Domination

The company that designed your website should have included in their services some basic “search engine optimization” which would include submitting your site’s URL to all the major search engines, and including a basic list of “metatags” (hidden codes that the search engines “see” when they search your site for ranking purposes) on your site.

Beyond that, you can increase your relevance by keeping the site up to date with fresh content, increasing the number of links you have both internally (within your site) as well as externally (to other sites) and making your site “key word rich” which would mean having it written with a search engines’ ranking system in mind.  This is not as easy as it sounds, and the search engines continue to change their ranking/relevancy strategy to make any domination within the organic listings hard to maintain over time (Remember, search engines make their money through advertising).  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firms make it their job to stay on top of this process, and charge clients typically an upfront fee ($250 - $1,500) and then a monthly fee ($250 - $500 + per month) to continually optimize your site.  Most hosting companies (such as Register.com, or GoDaddy.com) also offer SEO packages. It is a slippery slope, however, and there are no guarantees that you will be on page 1 for every keyword search you desire. 

The Local Revolution in Paid Search Listings

It used to be that having the top sponsored or paid position in a search link could only be afforded by large national companies.  But several years ago, technology was developed to allow local companies to bid on key words only for searches that emanate within a certain geographic area (i.e., within a 10-mile radius of your business location).  This was an enormous breakthrough for smaller companies, as well as for online shoppers/searchers who want to find local businesses without having to scroll through hundreds or thousands of search result listings. 

There are several organizations that offer this type of “geographically specific” paid search.  These companies charge a minor set-up fee and then help you establish a monthly budget for your search engine keyword bidding, ranging anywhere from $500/month to $3,000/month or more (depending on how “dominant” you want to be with your campaign).  Online reports allow you to monitor the results of your campaign, 24/7, where you measure your return on investment on a real-time basis.

Making the Choice

Experiment with some of the less expensive SEO packages provided by your hosting company before venturing into the more aggressive efforts offered by independent SEO firms.  Often the results can be just as good and require less of a time commitment on your part.

Paid search listings can be pricey and only those businesses who want to make a true commitment to internet marketing should go that route.  You also need to be sure that your office has a good system to follow up with “leads” and convert them into appointments before you embark on a paid search campaign.  That includes follow up with phone calls or e-mails, and having your receptionist trained to answer questions and handle calls in an appropriate manner.

Over 80% of consumers will research a company online before making their choice to purchase from them offline. If you look at this fact as an example of the Internet’s potency, it’s clear that some type of internet strategy is certainly warranted in this place and time. So don’t let the bandwagon pass you by.