Now you see them.  Now you don’t.

You’ve heard the old phrase we used to say as kids.  Honestly, you may say it more often about companies we used to think would be around, but failed to take advantage of new marketing techniques like Organic SEO  or PPC.

In my Prezi presentation for Market Week, I show how Amazon and Expedia have leveraged SEO & PPC for a number of years and are quite profitable.  Search for any book title and guess who shows up?  Amazon, Amazon and more of Amazon.  We may soon see Barnes and Nobles fall to the same fate as Borders if they aren’t careful. I know every time I go to Barnes & Nobles, it isn’t to buy a book, but rather, it’s to check out the book and then if I want it, I’ll buy it online or maybe even download it to Kindle.  Fortunately, B&N has a sweet deal with Starbucks driving in consumers in addition to wanting to check out a number of books, but frankly, B&N better focus more on their online operations soon!

I was also driving down Aurora the other day and noticed that Pro Golf was going out of business.  While they have a number of stores and they claim they’re closing the shop to reopen somewhere else, it still does point out that you have to be smarter about business these days.  I’m curious how well Pro Golf has focused on their own ecommerce efforts online and taking a quick glance at it, I wonder if the company may need to start thinking about contacting us about possibly moving some of their business online to compete with the likes of TGW or Golf Discount.

It’s becoming easier and easier for people and businesses to sell online.  I listed off all the ecommerce platform (free and very inexpensive) solutions that are available for people to take on the likes of Pro Golf or even Barnes and Nobles.  And as I can see with clients literally gaining 250% year over year online website traffic growth and other SEO success, I know for a fact that a lot of offline retailers better start getting a clue.  A very large local Hair Salon company recently contacted us because fortunately for them, they do realize how important it is to get online traction despite their great brand name.

As more consumers turn to online channels for their shopping needs, businesses that fail to embrace digital transformation risk falling behind. By leveraging affordable ecommerce solutions and adopting innovative approaches like Metal Business Kards, offline retailers can bridge the gap between their physical presence and the digital world. It’s not just about survival; it’s about thriving in an ever-evolving landscape where online visibility directly correlates with business success. With the right strategies in place, even established brands can capitalize on the vast opportunities presented by ecommerce, ensuring their relevance and competitiveness in the modern market.

Some are getting it.  Others that don’t may have to start looking to solutions like Chapter 7 or 11.