The marketing rules are not changing, they have already changed- If you’re still advertising in the yellow pages and denying that the Internet is where your advertising budget should be, you’re probably not reading this (unfortunately) and your business will be closed by the end of this year. Sorry, but its true. I’ve been watching this happen here in the East Bay of San Francisco, CA for the last couple of years. And it’s been painful to watch. I’m writing this, not to self promote, but to help put a tourniquet on the bleeding.

Here’s a heads up…Real Estate, SF Law firms and financial institutions have been investing massive infusions of big dollars in Internet marketing for the last 5-10 years; that’s no secret. Who has not are home service companies like roofers, plumbers, carpet cleaners, contractors and blue collar companies like machinists, welders and fabricators and believe it or not, high tech fabrication companies here in Silicon Valley.

This is a wake up call: Look around, the competition has changed. Competitors that you never heard of 5 years ago are now on top, taking on your business and taking your clients. Why, because there’s a second wave of Internet marketing started where a few service industry and technology companies are waking up and starting to market on-line. And they’re finding NO competition online. Their ranking on top of search engines, they’re using social media and their websites are usable and up-to-date. They’re marketing online and it’s working- Big Time.

If you’re online, what’s next? The good news- What might have passed for a professional looking website in 2005 is unlikely to make the grade today in 2012. You don’t need the world’s flashiest website, but you do need at a minimum, to meet the rapidly improving online marketing standards, including a mobile friendly website and major social media accounts. Why? Because if your competitor has a better website than you do and it can be found on Google before yours can, people will tend to think, consciously or unconsciously, that your competitor’s business is superior. Rightly or wrongly, the quality of your Web site reflects the quality of your business. And this will be truer over the next few months.

The point of this: Get off the pot or get ready for retirement. It’s not too late yet. Get on-line, get an up to date website, get SEO, get social, catch up and get a head by getting mobile.

For help with internet marketing, web design, SEO or mobile web design, contact KO Websites.