Focus Redux!

As online marketing continues to evolve at an exponential pace, many of our customers have become increasingly mesmerized by the sheer number of markets and geographies that have opened up as potential destinations for their products or services. They have every reason to be overwhelmed as the number of opportunities is indeed compelling. That being said, business leaders must still remain cognizant of the fact that regardless of the latest trends or the promise of riches that they extend, focus still wins.

It has always been the case that as companies get a little taste of growth and success, they begin to fantasize about being the next great story on the front of the Business Week, Wired or Entrepreneur magazines. Now with electronic commerce, online advertising and social media marketing as potentially powerful tools at their disposal, executives are jumping at the opportunity to incorporate these tools into their attack and in turn expedite their company's path to glory.

Unfortunately, a funny thing happens along the way; most of these executives (and by extension, their direct reports) become consumed with these tools and ultimately tend to get distracted from maintaining a tight focus on the target markets that brought them success in the first place.

The reality is that customers always have and always will respond more positively to the vendor who specializes in something that is relevant to their unique needs (i.e. industry, geography, etc.). The "trick" with online marketing is to make sure that when and if you do choose to embrace this world, that you do so in a way that remains true to the fundamentals of your business, especially the focus that got you to where you are today.