According to Enrico Madrigrano, one of the biggest experts in web marketing and Search Engine Positioning in Europe, "To understand it you need to get to the root of the problem". In other words try to understand how the famous law of supply and demand will play out in this market.

"From the demand point of view," states Enrico Madrigrano "the companies that want to survive the crisis will inevitably have to cut their promotional costs to survive. This means that the first advertising spending to be cut will be that with a negative return which is perceived, in one way or another, as "risky". In this category are obviously included investments in TV, radio and press advertising, which have always given results that are unpredictable and hard to quantify. The advertising budget will therefore mainly be directed towards direct marketing and to those advertising methods, where the results are predictable and measurable and where the benefits of targeting will be best appreciated. In short "web marketing". But this transition will only happen under one condition: that companies and entrepreneurs become "aware" of all this, or rather that they become totally involved in the front line of their company web marketing strategies and that they perceive and appreciate their potential, right from the word go."

"On the other side of the equation, therefore, web agencies and SEO and Web Marketing consultents, who represent the "supply", will have to take responsibility for educating their clients, focussing directly on what their company is looking for, that is reducing their costs and getting a return on their investments."

However in this scenatio a phenomenen will develop, which web agencies and consultents will have to beware of. "A split will form, dividing the supply of professional web marketing services (which guarantee good results and profits) and the demand for low cost services, from more and more companies on the hunt for discounts and rock bottom prices."

"In this scenario," continues Enrico Madrigrano "web agencies that want to survive, shouldn't fall into the trap. The secret will be to go against the flow. In other words web agencies, instead of going after the biggest slice of the market, which will be looking for web marketing services at lower and lower prices, should do the opposite, that is "hand-pick" existing clients, focusing on those who value quality and results over price. Instead of leaping into the fray and struggling to corner new clients in savage price wars, web agencies should do the opposite, that is defend their own territory, cultivating and nurturing their own clients, focusing on numbers and concrete results.

In this way web agencies will be able to create a shield in the midst of a scenario of ever more ruthless deflation. Successful web agencies will know how to consolidate their experience, strengthening their hold on the niche in which they already operate, instead of looking for new markets, or worse still setting themselves up as a "jack of all trades" to bring home new clients."

According to Enrico Madrigrano this abnormal scenario will develop very rapidly in conjuction with other big social and cultural changes which will involve not just businesses but also (and above all) consumers. All this "acceleration" in the awareness and process of the supply and demand market forces will lead to what he defines as the new Web Marketing 3.0.

These and other subjects linked to change and the future of web marketing will be discussed in person by Enrico Madrigrano during the next international "SEO Web Marketing Experience" course in Rome, Milan and London (for more information: http://www.madri.com/swm-experience/indexen.php )