Web Site Marketing a must for most Business Plans

We would have to living in a closet not to know that the use of the Internet and Web Sites that proliferate the now largest world "community" are still growing at a rapid rate...and more importantly the use of them. From Bill Clinton's 2007 book Giving, "When I became president in 1993 there were only 50 sites on the World Wide Web. When I left, there were 9 million. There are hundreds of millions today." As for use of the web...and for great purposes no less, again from Giving, "When the tsunami hit Southeast Asia, Americans quickly gave more than $1 billion dollars for relief. About 30% of our households contributed, more than half of them through the Internet."

If a business plan entails raising capital and/or a strategic marketing plan, how can they not include substantial reference and selected color page attachments of the Company's web site or a web marketing plan? If an existing company wants to have a comprehensive marketing plan to maintain or increase its market share and profits, can it do without a Web Site or Internet marketing plan component? Simple, they can't. Don’t forget, lots of people like me don’t buy online that much…but they shop on line and then reach out traditional ways…and buy.

Going one step further, how can a webs based business not take SEO extremely seriously? The maze of SEO consulting is confusing, with so many extreme options and promises, but there is clarity available so companies, particularly web based businesses do not undervalue this critical component or under budget for these costs in their business plan.
For virtually all businesses, a quality Web Site has become a must. But, what is a quality Web Site? It is certainly not ours…yet. Then again, all is relative. More so, business, like life, is a process…so stay tuned.