What does a potential customer see when they Google you?

If you have not started already, you should be thinking about what potential customers are finding when they search the internet for products and services you offer. If your business is nowhere to be found, you are missing a huge opportunity. Why have you ignored building an online presence and where should you start in developing an internet marketing strategy?

• You feel you do not need an internet marketing strategy because you make enough money, congratulations, you can stop reading now. Otherwise, today is the best day ever to get started.
• You do not believe the internet will really benefit your business. There are currently around 9.5 billion searches per month in the US alone. At least some of those searches were from your target audience.
• You do not believe you have time. Good, you are busy. That is why you hire experts. Spend a little time to educate yourself and hire an internet marketing company that you are comfortable with.
• You do not currently have a website. It has never been easier or more affordable to create a web site. Suggestion, hire a professional. If you have a website that looks like your cat designed it, that is not the online presence you want to build.
• You have a website and thought you were done. Nothing is that easy and nothing in business is ever done, it is an ongoing process. Again, spend some time online and educate yourself about the basic internet marketing principles and methods, then start looking the right experts to hire.
• You want to improve your online presence, but you are not sure where to start. Research topics such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Pay Per Click (PPC), and do not forget Social Media Marketing, sites such as Facebook and Twitter are becoming very powerful and should be part of your plan.

Deciding to get serious about your internet marketing strategy is the biggest hurdle. Next you need to get an idea of your current status. Start by performing a few simple searches yourself. Think of keywords and phrases that describe your business and industry, what would potential customers type to find products and services you offer.

For example, think of finding a public library in Augusta, GA. You might try searching the following in Google and Yahoo! to get an idea of the competitive landscape.

• library
• public library
• augusta library
• augusta public library
• library augusta ga
• public library in augusta, ga

You will see a mix of results related to local libraries in Augusta, and websites with a more national scope. These results reflect how people are using search engines to find products and services. Often, people are searching for local results, whether it be the local public library or a locally owned clothing store.

Your potential customers and existing customers are online searching, they should be finding you.