When I speak with business owners and leaders about the transition from a brick and mortar business model to one that embraces interaction on the internet, it is not uncommon to see dread and trepidation on the faces of those who must lead their companies through the changes. But when I talk with the staff of these very same companies, I see excitement and a basic understanding of this natural evolutionary cycle in the business delivery systems.
I cannot remember the last time that I received a negative response when I asked somebody if they personally used the internet to begin the process of making a purchase decision. To a person, from people in their 20s to people in their mid 70s, everybody uses the internet to find out more information about the products or services they plan on purchasing. If you do not believe this, then I strongly urge you to conduct a study of your own.
But if you do believe it, then I have a very simple question for you.
If somebody has a problem for which they plan on finding a solution, will your product or service be the solution that they find on the internet?
Does Google and the other prominent search engines believe that you and your company are the authority site in which to send traffic when somebody searches for answers to the problems that your product or services can solve? If this answer is not a resounding “yes,” then you are behind your competition in moving to the new model of business commerce. If you think that your brand or your business model is strong enough to persevere and grow without making this transition, I suspect that you have not done your homework.
Brick And Mortar Businesses Will Evolve Or Die
How many times do you see another business close its doors because of the competition from the large, scalable players in the market? For example, how many hardware stores had to close down when Lowes and Home Depot came on the scene? Or how about the small retailers that were crushed when Walmart came to town?
This is now happening in every market, and in every niche, because the internet provides the opportunity for companies to grow beyond geographic boundaries and reach customers at an earlier point in the buying process. A consumer that gravitates to your company early in the buying cycle, who finds you as the authority in the industry, is bound to want to do business with you if your business systems allow them that opportunity.
If you find yourself ready to contemplate the future of your organization as an authority in your niche, then sit down immediately with a trusted ally who can walk you first through a visualization of the end result, and then help you establish the internet marketing implementation plan and company learning objectives that will result in your dominance of your niche and the recognition from the search engines as the authority website for all who seek your products and services.
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