Published: 17 March 2007.

Marketers have seen the future- and it's online. As Bill Gates put it back in early 2006 'The future of advertising is the internet'. The electronic version of direct mail is already starting to edge out old-fashioned print versions. More companies than ever before are realising that they need to be focusing their marketing efforts on online marketing strategies.

Not only can web marketing be far more cost effective but when done correctly, it can also be more effective in communicating your message. Taking the time to create a strategy from beginning to end with a desired outcome will allow companies to accurately measure their return on investment (ROI). It's not just as simple as sending out a generic email to everyone on your mailing list, hoping that the phone will start ringing, or by getting a nice website and not promoting it properly. It's about understanding what your customers want and how your brand and its message will be found/received and interrupted.

Even from 12 months ago there has been a major shift of priority in the way companies are focusing their marketing efforts in.

2006 2005
1. Web advertising 1. Events
2. Email 2. Research
3. Public Relations 3. Public Relations
4. Research 4. Corporate Website
5. Events 5. Direct Mail
6. Corporate Website 6. Print advertising
7. Direct Mail 7. Sponsorship
8. Print advertising 8. Email
9. Sponsorship 9 Web advertising
10. Broadcast advertising 10. Broadcast advertising
11. Outdoor advertising 11. Outdoor advertising

The online media industry is growing at an incredibly fast rate with no signs of slowing down. Many companies are employing or using online “specialists� to help promote their brand and products more efficiently and effectively on the internet.

“Many companies have had to re-educate themselves on how online advertising works due to its fast development' Dale Handlen, Online Marketing Researcher says. 'What we are finding is that many SME company directors think that having a website is ‘good enough’ and don't understand the purpose behind a having a proper online marketing strategy in place. These companies are at serious risk of losing vital market share to a competitor who is on the ball.

A new development that is helping to make online marketing more for effective for both sides of the fence is that there is a solid increase in 'industry portals' becoming available. For example if you were in the boating industry you could go to a handful of other boating portal sites in your country which easily helps you find all kinds of links to other local related boating sites that offer specific information to what you are looking for. These 'portal sites' tend to be highly advertised and viewed because they make money by charging a fee to those companies wishing to have their web address placed in it. And in most cases it is well worth it. This makes it much easier for a potential client to access the correct information without having to rely on a company being listed first on a search engine page, which can be difficult and expensive to achieve.

Sometimes it seems like the internet and internet advertising progresses and changes like a freight train without breaks. But it's important to slow down, take a deep breath, and remember that you are in control of your marketing system, not the net. The internet is just a tool to be adapted to your marketing goals. Use it as a tool, and you'll see your goals realized faster than you could have imagined. Let it dictate your goals to you, and you'll find your message is lost in the mix.

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