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Like many people, he has begun to realise that Internet users are mostly searching for information. We sometimes forget that when
Internet really started to take off, just ten years ago, it was called 'the Information Superhighway'. Nowadays, it is largely 'brochure superhighway'. Having a web site which is just a brochure for your business is only going to get you so far. To take that next step upwards to greater online success you need to be trading in information.
Much of information you provide could be free; but it needs to be practical, useful information targeted specifically to particular groups of people. Some of information you provide could be sold; that will provide you with an additional income stream you previously might not have thought about.
Information marketing is an essential component of any business online these days. Without marketing information you will not gain as much success as you would do. Indeed, I spoke with one marketing guru other day who has dramatically changed his business, based on just two months of testing online. He had one web site where he tweaked keywords and did all optimisation tricks he could. He had another web site which he didn't optimise but for which he wrote several articles and got them published widely around Internet. Guess what? The information won hands down against optimisation; more links, more clicks, higher ranking.
Providing information is essential online. Whether it's in form of ebooks, specialist web sites, email courses or traditional books and reports is neither here nor there. You need to be in information business to attract interest in your main business.
Graham Jones is a psychologist who specialises in the way we use the Internet. He is the lead speaker at Information Marketing 2005: http://www.informationmarketing2005.co.uk
