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The Internet has progressed
through the early free-for-all stage (1994-1997), the speculative
phase (1997-2001) and the bursting of the dot-com bubble
(2001-2003). Today's Net is characterized by consolidation and
growth of big name companies while an increasing number of small to
medium-sized businesses and organizations strive for solid,
long-term footing in the online world. But even at this late
date, some studies estimate that as many as 50% of all businesses
and organizations still do not have a web site.
Merely having a web presence is
not enough. Although web designers are now readily available
and the promotion of niche web sites has grown into a fairly large
industry focused primarily on
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and
Google PageRank, effective Net marketing is a far more complex
matter. Site owner be warned: promotion scams are widespread
and many popular SEO strategies and services are marginally
effective at best.
Don't let anyone fool you:
Internet success stories do not happen overnight. Even a
multi-million dollar advertising budget provides no guarantee of
success. Long-term marketing strategy focusing on multiple
dimensions and with specific, obtainable goals is the secret to the
keys of Net success.
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