"Icicles" by Rick/Valinc., Copyright © 2002, "All Rights Reserved." VIP Photo Award, Winter 2002

Good Marketing is based on the same principles as good anything: in-depth knowledge about one's subject matter or product, and a deep understanding of the contexts and relationships in which it exists.

The professionalization of Marketing as a distinct field moves the age-old activity of barter into a systemic focus with an emphasis on consumer relations. It is based on the premise of Modern Liberalism (historically defined) that people have the overall intelligence to make sound decisions based on knowledge of the facts.

Rather than exercising the shallow politics of personal flattery, Marketing professionals seek to coordinate both internal and external efforts to provide the best product to the people who will truly benefit by it. There is a world of difference between "being nice" and truly doing good!

When devising effective Marketing strategy in the Internet age, it is important to first determine which "audiences" you intend to reach with your website. We will discuss this at greater length later. A successful website is one that is tailored for the specific interests and requirements of the people and groups it is intended to reach.

At the same time, be realistic about the marketing potential of your site. No website, however well conceived and appealing, can remedy fundamental flaws in business strategy. No website can completely automate the processes of information exchange and retrieval. And no site can immediately put you in the spotlight. Gaining audience numbers and accessibility can take a considerable time to build.

Marketing is by definition antithetical to the use of "tricks" and "trickery." However, we can easily build a list of "good Marketing practices" based on common sense about human nature as well as awareness of the circumstances within which people exist and experience perceptions.

Following is a short, "simple" list of "stuff" to keep in mind when developing a Marketing strategy:

"Waterfall" by Rick/Valinc., Copyright © 2002, "All Rights Reserved." VIP Photo Award, Winter 2002

Typically, Marketing and Public Relations strategies begin with the identification of a number of concentric markets or "audiences." Simply put, your audience is comprised of the people who are aware of you or your product. This recognition can range the gamut all the way from deep loyalty and affection to simple, fleeting annoyance. Anyone who is aware of you, for whatever reason, is part of an audience.

Needless to say, we all prefer the most positive of approval ratings. Nonetheless, it is important to analyze negatives, both for substantive improvements as well as public relations. Consider the case of politics, for example, where negatives often hold more clout than approvals.

Of course, one should never lose site of the individuals who make up our "audiences." Focusing on a one-to-one level can seem tedious in economies of scale. However, everyone ultimately experiences, perceives, and evaluates independently. Hence, speaking strictly, you may have many audiences, but none are greater than one.

We wouldn't get anywhere in life if we were strictly literal. To be productive, we generalize. This is mainly taken for granted, and innocent. For instance, we don't treat an apple and an orange as distinct and unrelated objects. Rather, we associate them as fruit, or as things that can be eaten.

Likewise, we can generalize in grouping audiences. Political analysts tend to fixate on socio-demographic indicators, though they do recognize the measurable effect of "recognition," (or the mere repetition of exposure) as well. Most promotion looks to product identification (whatever the nature of the "product"), and seeks to bolster approval ratings.

How does audience or market analysis affect your Internet strategy? Simple. Once you determine who you want to target with your website, you can better determine what type of web presence you need.

"Skiing Path 2" by Rick/Valinc., Copyright © 2002, "All Rights Reserved." VIP Photo Award, Winter 2002

For instance, if your business or topic is narrow and localized, the purpose of your website may be to solidify intra-organization fraternity or to coordinate communications. If your product attracts a small but "exclusive" audience, you may want to use your site as a secondary source to traditional or more personal advertising methods.

If you want to optimize exposure, you will need to maximize your search engine listings and status. Search engine submissions are indispensable for reaching beyond one's traditional customer base. For basic, comprehensive information about search engines and submission types, see Vivid's Search Engine Link.

If your audience is seeking general product information but will interact personally with you or your corporation for transactional activities, you need to design your website for informational purposes.

On the other hand, if you want to use your site as a front-line in your marketing approach, you will need to maximize exposure, including full launch into Internet search databases. If you want to engage in direct e-commerce transactions, you will also need to enlist highly reputed and secure transaction-processing services. Secure on-line transactions technology has become quite feasible and affordable.

So, as you can see, there is alot more to designing a website than just writing some computer code. With a little analysis and some practical forethought, you can optimize your site's potential and make it work for you.