Internet marketing, sometimes also called online marketing, refers to marketing and advertising efforts that use the eMails and the web to drive sales via electronic commerce, also called eCommerce, in addition to sales leads. Internet marketing and online advertising disciplines are generally used in addition to traditional types of advertising such as television, radio, and print media such as direct postal mailing of brochures, newspapers, and magazines.

The Internet has revolutionized the way potential customers are finding your business. Nearly gone are the traditional use telephone books, print ads, and direct mail. The Internet has transformed old, almost obsolete marketing practices into an online world. This can, and often is, complicated and daunting. The Internet is the cornerstone of success of your business. The Internet is here to stay. But fear not! You do not have to figure it out on your own. Internet marketing is a specialized, highly fluid and constantly evolving profession and they are thousands of companies available which can easily assist you in your trek to achieve your Internet marketing goals.

Internet marketing travels faster than the speed of light. In order to keep pace, you will need a strong foundation with the judgment to act independently, think critically, and be flexibly creative.

The goal of any marketing strategy, whether it is a traditional marketing strategy or Internet marketing, is easy— get more paying customers and to grow your business. One thing that many Internet marketing companies fail to provide is follow-up marketing, that is to say, to reinforce their marketing efforts and keep your business forefront in the minds of consumers. A good example of this is traditional newspaper advertising. A large advertisement was (and still is, to an extent) placed to promote a new product or service or to advertise a sale or other promotion. This is followed up with smaller, cheaper ads as a “reminder.” Television marketing campaigns still use this technique today by running a series of 60 second advertisements repeatedly over a span of time until they become ingrained in the memories of viewers. They follow this up by a series of cheaper, 30 second ads which are shorter versions of the 60 second ads. The customer will actually remember the more expensive ads based on their reinforcement by the cheaper ads. This allows the advertiser to keep his product, service, or promotion in front of the consumer for a lower cost. A combination of print media, television, radio and Internet marketing can achieve the same effect and at a reasonable cost.

You should choose an Internet marketing service carefully. Many use unethical, and sometimes illegal, means to achieve their goals. This can range from posting links on other websites to outright hacking techniques. These are called either “black hat” or “grey hat” schemes, depending on the severity, and should be avoided because they often hinder, not help, you in the end. Your selection for an Internet marketing company should include firms that will properly and ethically manage your social media.