Why Internet Marketing?
With such a huge variety and number of ‘players’, a fair that question most people might ask is, “Why would anyone in their right mind want to get into “Internet Marketing”?
After all, the Web has come a long way since 1993 when “the ‘Net” began to go mainstream and “www.” started becoming a part of most people’s vocabulary. Now it seems that “everyone” has a domain name and a website (or blog).
Why on earth would anyone want to “get into” Internet Marketing now?
There are at least three reasons why. The first one is the very fact that there are so many players supports the Internet’s Credibility.
Suppose you’re in a small grocery store and you see a new gadget on display. You’ve never seen “one of those” before and you think to yourself, “Why would anyone ever want to buy that?”
Then you go home and turn on the TV and . . . there it is! A commercial for that very same gadget! Now you’re thinking, “Interesting gadget . . . but why would I buy it?”
Later that evening you go shopping at the chain department store at the mall and that very same gadget is a featured item in the house wares section!
What’s going through your mind now? “Man, if a major department store is stocking this, I’d better get one before everyone else finds out and the price goes up!”
You have just experienced “the legitimization of a product.” What began as a fad item in your mind has now become a potentially necessary purchase because of its mainstream exposure on TV and in chain department stores.
What changed your mind about the gadget? The very fact that it was on TV and in the store!
Here’s how you came to the conclusion that caused you to change your mind: “If someone is paying to advertise it on TV and a major chain is stocking it, then it must be a legitimate item worth having.”
The same thing is true about the Internet. Because there are so many “major players” using it, what started out as a novelty is now a necessity.
Here’s what happens: Once a recognized leader, institution or industry embraces something, then that product or service has an aura of “instant credibility.” So if you’re serious about your business, whether home-based or “bricks-and-mortar”, then Internet Marketing is a must.
Another reason for doing Internet Marketing is Affordability.
Most people in business once thought that it was foolish to lease or rent anything. “You should own the building and the equipment your company uses” was the established way of doing things.
Then in the ’80’s and early ’90’s the shift began toward leasing office space. Now the shift is complete and you can lease just about anything! Why would anyone in business want to lease office space or equipment? The answer: Low overhead! “If you don’t own it, you don’t have to maintain it!”
Suppose you wanted to start your own business the conventional way. You would need to either build or lease office space. Then you’d have to get equipment for the business. And finally, you’d have to hire people to work at your business. This adds up to thousands of dollars spent — and you haven’t even opened the doors!
Now, imagine that you wanted to start your business online. You would need to have a website, a domain name, a host for your site, a computer to store the site on — and a product– yours or one that you’re reselling. Total cost? A hundred dollars or so if you do it yourself; more if you hire a webmaster. And then there’s advertising costs, which are still quite minimal.
But there’s no overhead; no employees — and you didn’t have to take out a second mortgage to finance it!
Look, everybody talks about “the bottom line” and there’s no better “bottom line” than Internet Marketing! Your business, no matter what it is, is an investment – of money, time and resources. And most sane business people want the best return on investment (ROI) that they can get.
I have been a part of two live demonstrations on how effective Internet Marketing is for “the bottom line.” Ted Ciuba, a top online marketer from Nashville, TN who created the World Internet Summit, has hosted live, unrehearsed challenges at his events. With audience participation and a webmaster, Ted created a brand new website and product on a Thursday night, and by the next day it had already made over one hundred dollars! By the close of the 2004 World Internet Summit on Sunday afternoon, Anthony Harris, the winner of the website drawing, had made over $10,000! That’s a pretty impressive ROI — and in just 72 hours!
Finally, “Why Internet Marketing?“
Because of its “Niche-ability.” (It’s a term I made up as I wrote this article.)
Since 1993 I’ve worked at a Christian radio station which features Southern Gospel music and syndicated Christian programming. Over the years I’ve watched Southern Gospel change from a specific genre or style of music to a category with several genres within it. Now “SG” as we call it includes progressive, traditional, country gospel, and blue grass. It’s no longer just “quartet-style” music.
The same thing applies to Internet Marketing. It began as a subject or niche in its own right. Now it includes dozens of niches, like product creation, search-engine optimization, web copywriting, blogging and social media.
And due to the fact that “I.M.” itself is now mainstream, smart marketers have taken its principles and applied them to markets or niches outside of Internet Marketing. As my friend, master marketer and software creation genius John Delavera says, “If I can master Internet Marketing, I can master ANY niche.”
The concept of niche marketing is also the focus of my business. However, I take the idea even further, as my tagline “Create Your OWN Brand of Success” indicates. That’s because it’s simply not enough to niche your site and product, you must also learn to niche yourself; you must become the expert at something . . . like: “The Premiere Info-Strategist”.
Credibility, affordability and “niche-ability” are all very good answers to the question, “Why Internet Marketing?”
Now if you’re sold on Internet Marketing but don’t know where to begin . . . Click here to learn how to “Create Your OWN Brand of Success!”