One of the prominent laws of the jungle is ‘survival of the fittest’. It is believed that part of the reasons behind the extinction of dinosaurs is that they could not adapt to their new environment; after the alleged meteorite hit the earth. And if it has not come to light by now, every business should realize that growth is the lifeblood of any enterprise; therefore, any organization that fails to develop dies.
Every successful organization realizes that it has to consider its terrain in order to determine its next best move. Failure to observe this critical principle leads to the fall of an enterprise. The Internet is the present and the future. Over 83% of products being produced by companies, in one way or another, are connected to the Internet. Either directly – this is true of most electronic devices, especially those with any sort of screens or using radio waves – or indirectly; for instance, products like clothes, and shoes that are sold online. It is wise for an organization to realize this trending reality, and come up with strategies and tactics to make the most it.
2017, as is true of every new year, presents new opportunities to be taken advantage of. In the world of computer technology, two years is like an entire human generation. In other words, what may seem to be the latest technology today, two years down the line may be obsolete or rapidly heading towards that direction. The Internet being part of computer technology, implies that in its environment things keep changing at a fast pace. Hence, organizations have to not only join the wagon but also quickly learn how things work there in order to survive. Most of the world now is operating online; socializing, working, or just plainly passing time.
The Internet has presented a new platform that has replaced most of the traditional methods of doing anything. Just with an iPhone or equivalent device, one can do most things from ordering pizza to closing a million-dollar deal. For organizations to be successful, they have to master this new terrain that has been presented to them. This means learning all that there is to learn regarding the Internet and becoming successful. The largest market of nearly any industry today is online. People are socializing, shopping, playing, sleeping, and eating online. As far as adapting to one’s environment is concerned, the only way to go for organizations is to follow their respective market, and get them at their ‘new’ natural habitat.
In 2017, Internet marketing presents a number of benefits to enterprises that just cannot go unnoticed. The year is already half way gone, which means some of the technological advancements that were just ideas a year ago are now a reality. To magnify this further, these ideas are now new methods and opportunities to be ceased and optimized. According to a research conducted by Agency Inc, to organizations, these are some of the facets that may benefit from this year:
Data Analytics Applications – marketing in itself requires some research and data collection, if not extensive research and data collection. The Internet provides several tools that can do this in an effective manner, and better off, in an automated way. These tools are now more powerful than ever; for instance, Google Analytics. They save a lot of time, money, as well as energy.
With these data analytics online applications, an enterprise can determine its market, how it is performing within that market, how to improve if need be, and even monitor what it is doing right in the event it is being successful.
Digitized Word of Mouth – Word of mouth may seem like more of an offline approach to marketing than online. Nevertheless, in 2017, this traditional method is going to prove to be not so traditional at all, but even more significant. Affiliate marketing, blogs, social networks, and other related online services are the digitized word of mouth. These services are going to be very crucial in the development of any online enterprise.
When a company introduces a new product, or does something worthy of recognition, through the mentioned services, the news goes viral as friends and colleagues share it among themselves. There is power in a ‘likes’ and ‘comments’.
Establishing and Reinforcing Relations – As people realize the importance and delight of being in relevant social networks, so does the population in the respective social networks increase. Companies can then ensure that they are part of the relevant social networks that benefit them the most to have an edge at impressing and attracting their respective market. Social networks provide a place for people to communicate beyond what was ever imagined before.
Initially, prior to the age of the likes of Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, the only way one could imagine socializing with another from the other side of the globe was by traveling thousands of miles either by road, sea, or air. Today, this same concept can be put to play by the touch of a button or tapping of a screen.
Virtual Supermarkets/ Online Shops – Ultimately, as has been the trend recently, more and more online enterprises are emerging with each fresh year. Organizations are more than ever able to extend their services online. Instead of just having clients and prospects visit their actual shops, companies can now offer relevant services online. This diminishes the amount of time spent by both them and their clients in commuting to and from their actual offices.
There are better means of marketing – like videos advertisements, which have become the preferred method of communication since late 2015, and getting more preference this year. Videos have a more lasting impact on people since they impress more senses than mere articles, still images or audio.
New Technology – Albeit still not that well adapted and developed yet, Virtual Reality(VR) and Augmented Reality(AR) are new technologies which were just recently born and seem to have learned to walk. 2017 has seen these two technologies learning to run. Enterprises like McDonald’s and Marriot have implemented these technologies to their marketing strategy. The bottom line is that there is better and more powerful technology present to enhance and reinforce businesses.
Internet marketing has been around for roughly two decades now, and it is getting more critical with each passing minute. Networking is a core concept in marketing and the Internet amplified its significance a hundredfold. It is paramount that enterprises notice and embrace the significance of Internet marketing; lest they face the same fate as the dinosaurs.
More than ever, 2017 offers robust ways for enterprises to establish and reinforce their presence online, leading to a larger market; hence, development and advancement.
