I prefer to look at progression of Internet thus far like a three year Summer of Love. Just like that Summer of '67 when world's attention turned to small bohemian district of San Francisco, blind optimism and subsequent overcrowding eventually caused bubble to burst.

Fast-forward thirty plus years into present, and we see that history has a funny habit of repeating itself. Gone are days that companies with no immediate plans for profitability can boast billion dollar valuations. Gone are days where it was OK that your only differentiation was merely being on web. It seemed like it was OK to pay no mind to having a stable business model, a top-notch management team, or providing actual value

But online marketers have suffered same fate. Just as our clients are forced to invest in justifiable marketing plans, we are challenged with creating them. We have to work better and work smarter to take advantage of benefits Internet has to offer to truly provide value to our clients. When things get crazy, it's always best to get back to basics.

Start With Goal - Target your market with laser-beam precision. Find hunger in your market and establish a realistic goal, in writing.

The most successful salespeople are ones who become "Dream- Brokers" for their customers -- that is, they understand what their customers desire, and find a way to help them achieve it. Business opportunities are a perfect example of how this works. The business opportunities that are most appealing are ones that not only talk about money that it can generate, but show how this fits into a customer's dreams.

This process starts with "research" stage -- before you even begin marketing, you need to take some time to understand your audience. What is it that they want? What are their desires and values? The answers to these questions will help you choose best way to present your offer or product.