Just
how
important
is the
Internet
when
it comes
to marketing?
It's
vital
according
to a
recent
study
that
shows
that
online
experiences
are
changing
consumer
attitudes
and
buying
habits.
Nearly
40 million
consumers
have
changed
their
minds
about
shopping
brands
as a
result
of online
information
this
year,
according
to a
survey
of 4,000
U.S.
Internet
users
released
by The
Dieringer
Research
Group
(DRG),
a Milwaukee-based
market
research
firm.
Nearly
half
of U.S.
online
adults
have
changed
their
opinion
about
a brand
because
of their
online
interactions,
and
almost
25 percent
have
switched
brands
at purchase
because
of their
online
experiences.
Now,
let's
put
this
in perspective:
Internet
use
in the
U.S.
increases
by 2
million
new
Internet
users
each
month,
according
to a
study
by the
U.S.
government.
The
report,
published
by the
National
Telecommunications
and
Information
Administration
and
the
Economics
and
Statistics
Administration,
found
that
143
million
Americans
(54
percent
of the
population)
used
the
Internet
in September
2001
So
what's
the
conclusion
here?
You
can
draw
two:
1. If
your
company
isn't
being
found
online
(and
your
competitors
are),
you're
missing
out
on sales.
Period.
Millions
of people-at
work,
at home,
at school-are
going
online
everyday
to shop
for
products.
What
they
see
there
is affecting
what
they
buy.
Which
leads
to our
second
supposition.
2. How
your
company
is perceived
online
impacts
how
it's
perceived
offline.
That
means
that
your
web
site
and
online
interactions
are
important
and
your
online
marketing
should
be consistent
with
your
overall
brand
image.
Armed
with
these
facts,
take
a hard
look
at your
online
marketing
strategy,
and
ask
yourself
some
tough
questions.
First,
is your
site
being
found
online?
Surveys
show
that
about
48 percent
of search
engine
users
expect
to find
the
answer
to their
query
on the
first
page
of search
results,
and
78 percent
of Internet
users
will
not
look
any
further
than
the
first
three
pages
of results
for
the
information
they
seek.
If your
site
isn't
being
found
on the
first
three
pages,
chances
are
it's
not
being
found
at all
by the
people
who
actually
need
what
you
do.
Second,
does
your
company
web
site
support
your
overall
marketing
strategy?
Because
your
web
site
can
often
be your
company's
first
impression
with
potential
customers,
it's
important
that
it supports
your
overall
corporate
likeness.
Afterall,
nothing
is more
important
than
your
company
image.
Buying
habits
are
based
on a
consumer's
confidence
in a
brand
or company.
Does
your
web
site
inspire
confidence
in your
company?
With
your
competition
merely
clicks
away,
you
can't
afford
to put
anything
less
than
your
best
foot
forward
on the
Internet.
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