Yep, that is my predicition.

In 2009, while our economy continues to slug along, those that do a good job of marketing themselves online will have a very good year.  We’ve all probably heard stories of how a lot of people became rich during the Great Depression – because it is true.  Those that keep their eye on the ball when everyone else is distracted will continue to hit home runs – it won’t be as easy as it was before, but it will still happen.

Markets are shifting right now.  While mainstream for quite some time now, the internet is now starting to subplant other channels of distribution and marketing.  Newspapers are struggling, some either are, or are planning to go to internet-only distribution.  Video, which had the exclusivity of TV delivery, is now more popular than ever online (even traditional TV’s might be hooked up to a PC or Apple TV), Google searches are replacing Yellow Page look-ups, businesses are advertising online with pay-per-click advertising.  While lower than before, the spikes in gas prices over the last few years has more people getting used to the idea of staying at home.  A new generation is growing up not knowing of a world prior to high-speed internet.  Social networking is redefining public relations for major companies and public figures.

There is a fundamental shift that is taking place – while we thought we have already seen the impact of the internet on our lives, we are now realizing that the last 10 years was just a slightly advanced stage in it’s infancy.  A major grow spurt is coming in 2009 and a lot of companies that thought they had a “web presence” are going to get left behind, while a lot of companies that are “plugged in” to the coming changes will reap great rewards.

So, what are the nutshell nuggets of knowledge to pull from all this?

First you can’t be just a “web presence”.  You can’t be “static” online.  You can’t think of a website as the beginning and end of your online efforts.  Sure, it has worked in the past, and in many cases working still.  But at some point it no longer will.

Second, change the way you think about the internet – almost consider it a parallel universe.  20 years ago, they called the concept “virtual reality”.  It made a lot of buzz but died down as the real world realities of the internet’s limitations at the time softened our vision of this “cyber-space”.  Now we are seeing virtual reality slowly coming about.  Sure, it’s not a funny headset and Tron-like graphics, but the internet is becoming another place that we exist, or more importantly, where your customer’s exist.  They are not just hopping online to do a quick search with a keyword phrase to find your product or service and then signing off, they are living much of their life there.  So, you will need to be “plugged in” to where they are, what they’re doing and how to get their attention.

We are already seeing this shift in our business.  We are not a website development firm anymore, despite my old-habits-die-hard habit of calling us that.  We are actually an interactive agency now.  Developing the site for your web presence is no longer the beginning and end of our involvement.  Throughout 2009 we will be asked to build the “main” site, setup the blogs, create subsites, recommend lead tracking solutions, secure advertising, handle marketing campaigns, develop a social media strategy, manage company brands, oversee public relations, broadcast call-in radio shows, produce video, write copy, record podcasts, program applications, research keywords and provide consultation services.

By being prepared for changes in 2009 as the internet leaves behind it’s infancy, you can be a part of it’s growth spurt.

Too many business owners get caught in the trap of making a website something that they like as opposed to researching what type of site will best convert visitors into buying customers.  I commonly hear “I want” this or “I want” that without having answers to how a customer might percieve those things.  I’m not saying the site shouldn’t be an online reflection of your business – it should, and it should be appropriately branded – but, site usability, content displayed and specific features added should be geared towards your client’s likes and dislikes.

The site is a sales tool, and like all sales tools and marketing messages it can be refined and tweaked to better convert customers.  The only way to refine your marketing materials is to step back from being emotionally involved and look at your material from a strictly analytical view.

If your site is not a sales tool but provides a service itself, such as an e-commerce site or membership-based site, then you need to be even more aware of your customer’s wants and needs because with websites, you always have stiff competition that will try and woo your client base with features specifically tailored to them.

Regardless of your site, stay in communication with your customers and solicit feedback from them on their impressions of the site.  Ask them want they like, what they don’t like, what they wish the site had and what they would change about it.  Visit your competitor’s websites to stay on top of new features they add.  Keep track of your website traffic stats to monitor changes in traffic as you tweak your online message.

No matter how optimistically it is presented, no matter how often it is mentioned that “everyone’s onboard”  and no matter how much you want to believe it will work for the better, design by committee is a process that delays the completion of a website that no one involved will be happy with.

I have seen this situation play out countless times on website development projects throughout the years.  When a committee is involved everyone has to compromise to some degree yet no one wants to.  Someone has to sign off on design work yet no one is willing to do so until everyone is in agreement.  Someone has to direct the design team and provide timely feedback yet no one wants do so independently without a scheduled meeting.

Everyday, sites with a single point of contact move quickly through the system.  There is less spreading out of the information that is shared, so consultations have more impact.  Impromptu meetings can occur on a moments notice.  Feedback is immediate.  All involved in the project stay engaged from start to finish.

Don’t let your website development project become a burden and use your committee as an excuse to procrastinate until later – have a single point of contact for your website that is committed to it’s delivery.