When some people think of marketing, they get a glazed look in their eyes, unsure of what that really is. A few will quote infamous lines about how evil corporations market their products without any real conscience. They think of polished people doing polished presentations in a polished office somewhere.

Dark suits spouting statistics about why this sale or that sale works, and what techniques are most successful. You know the typical movie scene – cups of coffee scattered on the table, flip charts and piles of paper clutter the room – used to be all done under a haze of cigar smoke. Just a window into the past, now. Marketing a business that way, in the 21st century, just won’t catch a consumer’s eye.

In the new century, those insulting TV commercials and doctored photo ads just won’t satisfy the modern consumer. We’re too jaded. To be effective in marketing to potential customers in the 21st century, you have to reach people on the go, on their laptops, their cell phones, home computers and Blackberries. No more of what’s called interruptive media such as television and radio commercials.

Now, each consumer has an electronic identity, so you can customize your marketing to them, and deliver it directly to them, at their convenience. They shop online, seeking more and more specifically designed products and services to fit their needs. They will search the country and the world, if need be, to find what they want. It’s all available at the click of a mouse. If you have done your homework, you know who your customers are and have a good idea of what they want. Now you can tailor your marketing – your selling – directly to them.

Take advantage of all the tools at your disposal to help you know your target and manage your sales. Software for your site can count hits and monitor all aspects of your sales history, to help you know if you’re going in the right direction. The crunched timeline of working on the Internet not only means you can get your product or idea out there faster, but you can get customer feedback on it faster, too! Use the speedy turnaround time as an advantage over your snail-mail competition.