Ruth P. Stevens Articles and Columns

Ruth P. Stevens Articles and Columns: BtoB Magazine

Monday, October 9, 2000

The Internet Changed Us, and It Didn’t
Ruth P. Stevens

Business marketers were avid early adopters of the Internet, for all the right reasons. With the exception of the so-called exchanges, most of us were able to avoid the frenzy. Instead, we set about applying the power of the Web to our existing business processes, and cut out gobs of time, money and complexity–all to the great advantage of our customers and ourselves.

The Internet is still in its infancy, so it’s way early to predict how its long-term influence will take shape. But now that the frenzy has chilled and people are getting back to basics, this is a good time to evaluate the Internet’s impact on business marketing.

What’s new, as a result of the Internet? We have everything from evolution to revolution.

Productivity improvements. The biggest impact of all. The Internet is providing unparalleled speed, connectivity, efficiency to the way we do business. Some would argue that it’s the force underpinning our current global economic expansion.

New business models. Look at Priceline, eBay, Mercata. These are ways of providing value and extracting value that never existed before. Or at least were impossible to sustain with any scale before the Internet arrived. New models enrich our lives, and offer more choices to our customers.

Focus on customers. Businesses are waking up to this so-called new thing known as CRM. By putting new power in the hands of customers, the Internet has driven this shift. The Internet also provides some excellent new tools--in SFA, in marketing automation, in customer service--to support it.

Concerns about customer information. Privacy is a hot topic in the consumer world. In BtoB, we’ve had the luxury of ignoring it. But the issue is creeping into our space, like it or not. Whatever its basis, business marketers must create deliberate, thoughtful strategies about customer information. If we don’t, we’ll face consequences, whether legislative or about customer satisfaction and behavior.

Now, what’s the same old same old? The basics. The Internet has changed a lot, but it’s really just a tool in the toolkit. Marketing fundamentals still apply, and a pox on those who forget them.

It’s still marketing. We are all about creating value for customers, and then extracting value for ourselves. We need to understand our customers’ needs, and deliver. The Internet can enhance that relationship, but only if the basic value is there.

It’s still relationships. Marketers seek a positive lifetime relationship with customers, especially in BtoB, where those relationships can mean millions of dollars in value.

The Internet is a supplement, not a replacement. Early notions that clicks would displace bricks have proven wrong. Like the phone, and the fax machine, the Web will simply add to the channels we have for doing business with our customers and prospects.

It’s best integrated. To the extent that the Web is another channel, it needs to be a seamless part of our go-to-market strategies. Our customers expect, and deserve, a consistent, superb experience with their vendors.

Ruth P. Stevens consults on customer acquisition and retention, and teaches marketing part-time at New York University. Email her at ruth@ruthstevens.com.

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