Be Found Online

The Internet now accounts for approximately 5% of total U.S. advertising spending, making it a crucial tool for new customer acquisition. (See page 76 of Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain for more details and survey results from wholesaler-distributors.)

And the boom keeps going. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, total Internet advertising revenues were $16.8 billion in 2006, a 34 percent increase over 2005. See Internet Advertising Revenues Estimated at $16.8 Billion for Full Year 2006.

(Note that I was only able to cite data from the third quarter of 2006 in Chapter Four when the report went to press. Hooray for blogs!)

In Chapter Four's Action Ideas section (page 85 of Lead the Way), I state: "Customers will increasingly use the Internet as a primary way to gather information and find new suppliers even if the actual purchase is not made online. Therefore, your company’s Web site must function as an effective sales lead generation tool, not just as an online e-commerce platform."

What about your company?

• Can a prospective customer find you through a search engine? Would they find a competitor instead?
• If a prospect does find you online, how easily can they figure out what to do next? Can they send an email to a real person?

If you don't know the answers to these questions (or don't care enough yet), make all of your top managers try Question for Management Discussion #3 on page 90 from their homes one weekend. I bet your Monday morning discussion will be very enlightening!