Greetings from the War Room: Internet Marketing in 2012

More and more it seems that the Internet marketing space has become more like a war zone. The constant changes and major announcements from the search engines and social media sites, the dissemination of this information from Industry and non-Industry leaders alike, and the confusion surrounding each piece of news has created a constant state of chaos for everyone participating in this arena.  It seems that with every Facebook “conversion to Timeline” we get a Google “exact and phrase match update” right behind it.  The intents of the changes are highly positive but the collateral damage has been grand. In the twelve years since we’ve been working in this Industry, we have never seen such a state of frenzy as we currently see today.

It didn’t use to be like this.

Once upon a time, there was a simple set of rules for marketing effectively online.   These days, you need to treat your online marketing program like you would an entrepreneur of a business. You need to stay informed, flexible, and be able to pivot quickly to take advantage of new feature rollouts, new technologies and ever-changing landscapes.

That being said, we think you can relax amidst the chaos and take a deep breath. The fundamental basics of online marketing [that have been in place since day one] still apply today. Start with a great website, one that fills a market niche and meets the needs of your users.. and go from there. Next, ensure you optimize it properly for the search engines. Search still accounts for a vast majority of quality visitors and organic optimization should still be at the cornerstone of your online marketing plans. Next, consider setting up advertising campaigns, participating in social media, and experimenting with new traffic channels. Each business will be different but there are hordes of traffic available to you, if you plan properly and have budget for experimentation.  Finally, ensure you are tracking goals and conversions and analyzing your traffic patterns. You will quickly see which areas of your site need a refresh and what traffic channels are the most profitable.

Yes, you should pay close attention to the rapid pace of change occurring right now. But don’t panic! And don’t go of course just because a new feature has been released. Stick to your basics and you will ensure continued and continual success. You can’t get out of the war zone anymore but you can shield yourself from the noise by remembering the fundamentals.