Stiffening Competition Ahead for Internet Marketing?

"For those retailers that faced the tsunami of 1998 to 2001, the next few years may feel like a light windstorm, but for the majority, 2006 to 2009 will indeed bring the tumult of a hurricane at the very least. "

Forrester Research has just released some findings from their latest study of Internet commercial activity. Their figures document a continuing increase in business-to-consumer revenues on the web, but they are predicting that the increases from 2006 through 2009 will be even greater.

They are basing this prediction on changes that they see in the structure of businesses and their marketing teams. Online marketing has proven its effectiveness to many businesses so that the online marketers no longer have to justify their existence in order to get part of the marketing budget. Many businesses have integrated their online and offline marketing eforts so that they support one another now. and . finally, many businesses have made investments in online improvements that are only now reaching fruition and the point where they will begin to pay dividends to the companies.

What this means to we small business marketers is that the competition for real estate on the search engines is likely to increase. We still believe that attention to good basic internet marketing principles, and persistence in their application, will continue to pay off in positive results for small businesses.