Why Now Is the Time to Get Online

by Matt Roberts on Sept. 8, 2011, 5:35 p.m.

The advent of the internet heralded vast and rapid changes in consumerism. It has come to be relied upon for quick and easy access to information, products, and services. Those who may have relied on print sources, such as telephone books, 15 years ago, are now turning to search engines. Why? Because the internet’s capacity to provide near-instantaneous, varied, and consistently updated information is unmatched by traditional sources.

For many companies, this shift has put an unwelcome and unnecessary dent in their customer bases. Millions of people around the globe turn to the internet to find products and services every day and if they aren’t finding your business, they are finding your competitors instead.

A straightforward example of this phenomenon may be drawn from the restaurant business. If someone were looking for a new restaurant to try in the pre-internet era, they were forced to rely on word-of-mouth or brief and perfunctory advertisements—it was a game of chance. Today, we are able to view menus, prices, locations, and reviews by conducting a simple Google search. Thus, while restaurants possessing a tentative or nonexistent presence on the internet are passed over, those which boast intuitive, engaging, and content-rich websites are much more likely to attract new clientele. This precedent is applicable to virtually every product or service on the market.

Given the current economic climate, it is more important than ever to meet consumer demands. The continuing expansion of the electronic marketplace is a foregone conclusion and as a new generation, weaned on these technological advancements comes of age, they will turn to the convenience and depth of information provided by the internet for their needs. For better or worse, the traditional media of the past are facing extinction, and many businesses that are unable or unwilling to keep pace with these changes are meeting a similar fate.