“Search” has been one of the largest business growth segments we have seen in some time. Even in what was considered a downsized economy, search thrived. Winners emerged, like Google, and we, as business people emerged victorious as we found a new outlet to reach our customers.

ComScore recently released a study noting that the growth of search has slowed to 11% from a whopping 42% when comparing January 2006 to 5005 respectively.

The 42% “surge” of 2005 makes 11% look shabby. It’s not. Our economy has seen various surges like this, especially in the area of new mediums such as the Internet. 11% is a very good growth rate. What this tells us that search is a real business. It is starting to find a level of stability in our current communication system. The “fad” of search is disappearing, making it as commonplace as the Internet has become.

Looking back to the post-Civil War era, the American economy saw similar inventions change the world economy and communication as we know it. Electricity, telephones, even typewriters. They were all once “gee whiz” inventions that were found only in the richest of homes. Now we don’t even think about them - we just use them. Just how we’ve stopped thinking about computers, the Internet and even search.

Growth surges for “real” businesses don’t last forever. It was an enjoyable - and profitable - ride. Now we need to stop treating it like the “next big thing” and start using it for the value it provides.

See ComScore’s PDF of the data release here.

Technorati Tags: internet marketing, search engine marketing, marketing, sales lead generation

We have a new lab puppy, Murphy. He’s great: cute, cuddly, and extremely smart. Most of the time. The “other times” he is wild, crazy, and out of control. Seems like he barely hears a word we say. It’s frustrating. Puppies are lucky that they’re cute.

So what’s this have to do with the Internet? While most people wouldn’t call it “cute,” they may call it “smart.” And I have certainly heard the word “frustrating.”

How many websites have you visited lately that have frustrated you? Websites from large companies - companies that have been around for a while - as well as startups. Many are attractive, maybe even cute. But they don’t seem to be speaking your language. Are they simply like a poorly trained puppy, not understanding what you need and simply letting you roam crazily through the site? Problem is, most people will not work that hard with a website anymore; they will simply move on to another that might treat them more respectfully and address their needs.

The Internet is no longer a fad, yet many companies still treat it as such. I still hear business people say, “Oh, we don’t really use our website.” They’re right: they don’t. Their customers do! As a matter of fact, many still treat websites and their Internet marketing programs as the stepchildren of the tech department. They have them, the tech department set them up, yet there’s little to no connection to their marketing, message or the customer’s needs. It’s a cool tool with things that click, and forms that post to, well, somewhere, eventually making their way to sales or marketing or customer service.

Your Internet presence is available to your customers and prospects - imminent buyers of your goods and services - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can search in Google or Yahoo based on their “needs” and come across your site. “Need,” the perfect time to be in front of a customer. Why on earth would this not be one of the most well-trained aspects of your marketing?

Train your website to be one of the best marketing tools you will ever have and you will be rewarded with long-term customers. Be sure that messages are clear and concise; processes help customers rather than hinder them; and everything - from words to images - exists to help drive the customer directly to what they need.

The Internet - like a puppy - is frustrating, especially if you really don’t know what you’re doing. It all looks simple at first, but then you find out that it’s not. This is the same reason why so many puppies end up in shelters, and websites simply get abandoned: People think they know what they’re getting in to, try on their own to get through the frustrating part, then give up. The good thing is for both people with puppies and companies that are embarking on Internet marketing, there’s lots of help available.

The moral of this story: seek help. If nothing else, start reading and searching in Google for advice. If you are still floundering, get professional help.

BTW: Murphy starts puppy kindergarten next week.

Technorati Tags: internet marketing, search engine marketing, marketing, sales lead generation

Seth Godin poses a question in his blog today which I’m sure will raise a few eyebrows. As usual, Godin likes to keep us all thinking. “Do you trust marketers?” he asks.

One of the biggest issues most companies face is gaining trust from prospects and maintaining that trust when they become clients. The competitive playing field has changed dramatically since the Internet became an effective commercial sales and information tool. Now Fortune companies compete with online garage sales. Choice is more than abundant, it’s overwhelming. With the added choice comes greater opportunity for good, as well as bad.

As individuals, companies, marketers, ad agencies, and Internet marketing firms, we all have a common goal to sell. We sell for ourselves. We sell for others. Part of that sales process is gaining the trust of who we are selling to. However, this is process isn’t anything new. Trust - and mistrust - has always been a huge part of a prospect’s decision-making process. It existed well before the Internet. It happens when we shop for a car…When we see a sale in the newspaper…When we prepare to sign a contract for services…Or when we shop on eBay.

The Internet has provided us all with far greater access to information. Our role, as marketers, hasn’t really changed. It just got a bit harder. Our responsibility to be “trustworthy” has always been there. And there have always been those marketers - the “snake oil salesman” - that chipped away at our ability to gain trust from buyers.

We know people don’t always trust marketers. And we know why. Successful purveyors of products and services understand that gaining trust and combating skepticism are huge responsibilities and requirements that will affect the ultimate outcome. We need to keep in mind that it’s far easier for our prospects to simply find someone else they trust more than we do us.

So start right away by understanding how to build trust with your customers and prospects. Here are a few tips…

• Tell it like it is: Let a customer know what the next steps are and what they can expect, then…
• Walk the walk: If you say a call will be returned within one business day, return it.
• Here’s what it looks like: Give accurate representations of the process or product.
• Say it with flowers: Customers like “happy” surprises. There’s nothing better than to get some free tips, or even a “taste” of what’s to come.
• Keep it simple: Life’s hard enough for most people. Don’t mire someone in details when starting to build a relationship. Make it easy. Ask for a little now, then maybe a little more later as the relationship builds.
• Under-promise and over-deliver: It’s a pretty simple concept. Figure it out…

Remember that building trust is an investment in not only one sale, but the development of a lifelong customer relationship. There are a lot of roadblocks out there that may affect this process. Tackle them early one and you will reap the rewards of a profitable relationship.

Technorati Tags: internet marketing, search engine marketing, marketing, sales lead generation

Jupiter Research released a study at the end of February that noted how nearly half of those that “shop online” ultimately will make their purchase at a physical store, rather than online. That’s been the trend for some time now. People like to be able to browse at their leisure and compare prices, but immediate gratification can only be had by going to the local Best Buy and putting it in your car. Overnight delivery sometimes just isn’t fast enough - and it’ll cost you!

What’s most intriguing about this study is the fact that 62% of online shoppers start their quest in standard search engines, such as Google, and not comparative shopping engines, such as Froogle. Why is this intriguing? It tells us that even when search engines try to make it easier and can provide more specific information, 3 out of 5 people will still use what they are most comfortable with. They have come to know - and trust - search results from Google, Yahoo!, MSN and the others. Froogle, Yahoo! Shopping, DealTime and others have not gained that credibility factor yet.

Often clients will say to me, “We don’t sell our products online.” Ah, but yes you do! Most “shopping” is done well before the sale. People need to go through the phases of research before they can make the final purchase decision. These phases are being completed online. And research is showing that search engines are the leading factor in making that decision.

Search engine marketing is a powerful way to help influence a buying decision. If you are not providing information to your clients to help them make that decision, or they cannot even find you during the research process, they will find your competitor. Don’t miss this important phase of the sale!

Technorati Tags: internet marketing, search engine marketing, marketing, sales lead generation