Twenty years ago, a business opened a storefront, put ads in the local paper, joined a local networking organization and hoped the local customers needed what they had to offer. All that changed with the inception of the Internet. A business is no longer dependent on its local customer base for its survival; it now has a worldwide audience for its goods and services. The Internet has changed not only a business' customer base, but how a business communicates with its employees, and finds and manages the competition.

Marketing to a Wider Area

With the advent of Internet marketing, a business must stay abreast of the needs of its customers. Competition is no longer localized; a business now has competition all over the world. It is imperative that a business know what its customers want and deliver it. Surveys, questionnaires, feedback forms and comments on a website can be used to monitor a business' customers' needs.

Using Digital Advertising

Including the Internet in a business' advertising budget extends a business' ability to attract customers from their back yard to all four corners of the globe. Websites, banner placement and search engine optimization, also referred to as SEO, allow a business to have a presence on the web and reach millions of potential customers.

Using the Internet for Research

Businesses use the Internet to research new product ideas, new methods of creating products and pricing information. A business can also research the competition to see what products and services are offered. If a company is looking to expand into a particular location, the Internet can be used to research the population, its needs and what products and services would sell best in that area.

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