Ostrich And Internet Marketing

There is an old myth (yes, it’s a myth) about ostriches burying their heads in the sand when danger approaches. The idea was that if they could not see danger it did not exist. The overriding premise behind the myth and the “bury your head in the sand” idiom is avoidance; a refusal to acknowledge a problem. While ostriches don’t bury their heads in the sand, many business people do when it comes to Internet marketing.

For many business people the Internet is the “lurking danger” that is out there to destroy their company. It’s the “bogeyman” that will help their competition beat them into bankruptcy. They’re afraid to do anything because they just don’t get it. In fact, a more apt comparison would not be to an ostrich (with its head in the sand), rather a deer (in the headlights). But you really can’t blame them.

For years the Internet marketing industry has tried to baffle businesspeople into buying their service with B.S. With urban legends, ostrich myths and outright lies, small and medium-sized businesses have painfully, and with eyes glazed-over, heard all kinds of stories as to why they need to spend huge money on something that may not work. Now all of this communication was not nefarious. More than likely the Internet “marketers” with whom many businesspeople speak don’t have a clue either. They just know a few more buzzwords.

Internet marketing is not as complex as many make it sound. Much of Internet marketing simply involves good business sense and sound business practices. It involves understanding who your customer really is and how and when they wish to have you communicate with them. Internet marketing is a process and an evolution. It’s about taking some basic elements (website, search, social media, e-commerce) and blending them together to give your business the greatest possible chance to be found online by your customers and to convert their business through the Internet or your brick-and-mortar operation. It’s all about your customers.

Now if your head is buried in the sand or you feel as though you are staring down an 18-wheeler at midnight, do yourself a favor. Talk to a real Internet marketing professional. A good one will be able to explain things to you without all of the techno-speak of a rookie. And if you run into one that starts talking about algorithms and semantics don’t even think about it. Just run! The head in the sand thing won’t work!