December 7th, 2008 by Steven Leung

In this article:

• How Internet Marketing Is More Effective Than Traditional Advertising
• Tracking How an Actual Visitor Became a Lead
• Building a Stronger Reputation By Combining Internet and Traditional Marketing

Done correctly, Internet marketing is one of the most cost-effective mechanisms that businesses can use to generate leads.

The reason for Internet marketing is simple and ironic: permanence.   When a business launches a mail campaign, your pieces get delivered and you hope that you found enough people who are interested to make that mailing worth your while.

But most, if not all, of the mailings get thrown away.  People may not have even looked at them — and those that did may or may not remember your business. That’s why the author of The Fundamentals of Business to Business Sales and Marketing, John Coe, recommends mailing three times in a two to four week period in order to maximize effectiveness.  But after the mailers are sent, you have nothing of lasting consequence in your hands.  An online presence grows as you invest in it.
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December 2nd, 2008 by Steven Leung

In this article:

• SearchWiki Overview: What’s Important for Businesses
• How SearchWiki Impacts and Reflects Your Online Reputation
• Why SearchWiki Deserves Only Minimal Investment For Now

The folks up the street in Mountain View recently launched the ability to customize and comment on search results using its Google SearchWiki. Because the comments made on SearchWiki are public, business and website owners need to adjust to these new features in order to maintain and cultivate their online reputations.
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October 7th, 2008 by Steven Leung

In this article:

• The difference between building a website and creating opportunities
• Designing websites with search engines in mind (CATTLE)
• Using technology to build an online reputation

Fundamentally, business is about creating value that customers are willing to pay for.  And at its most base level, customers buy products and services for what they help accomplish and how they make them feel.

But rarely do customers buy for technology for technology’s sake — most don’t even want to think about it.  A cell phone is a great example.  It helps people keep in touch with their family, friends, and colleagues in a way few would have imagined just a few decades ago.

People don’t want to think about cell phone towers and radio spectrum.  They want to communicate with other people conveniently and immediately.  Even technologists who always buy the latest phones aren’t buying the latest EV-DO capable handsets with MP3 capabilities — they’re buying a satisfaction to their curiosity, which makes them feel like they’re on the cutting edge.

So when people come to me with their businesses, I feel it’s critically important for me not to emphasize the technology (which is my responsibility for my clients), but to translate the technology into the opportunities it provides.
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