Future for Internet Marketers

Have you ever attended a class where the instructor followed the Socratic method of teaching? You remember, only questions, no direct answers. Some discussions lend themselves far better that format, which look at some possible future trends in Internet marketing is one of these. Mainly because you can find no answers at this point, only the questions we pose!

Internet marketers more often than not are used to creating products for, and selling to, a predominantly western audience. Whether in the marketing niche or not, today's internet sites, autoresponder sequences, mailing lists, payment processing systems, and overall way of conducting business have evolved round the needs and wants of target markets in the western world. And any experienced marketer knows it is usually difficult. Despite popular notions that you could start an online business and watch the amount of money roll in, the truth is that there is lots of competition from other webmasters, regardless of the market or type of products you promote.

Looking ahead, have you considered the impact of even more competition - lots more? In Asia, specifically China and India, large, well-educated populations, a lesser cost of coping with much-improved standards, and more widely available Internet access may combine soon to create a many more Internet marketers. Many are well-versed in technical areas of the web, including programming and site development. In fact, if you have ever used any of the various freelance sites to outsource technical projects, you've seen that lots of of the bidders are from Asia.

With populations of 1 billion people and much more in those two countries alone, the current generation is certainly well-attuned to the Internet, and being avid surfers, are without doubt alert to the commercial opportunities and worldwide reach available only online. It's likely just a matter of time before they begin marketing to western audiences themselves.

Whether through affiliate marketing, or by developing services to sell on their own behalf, the chance of increased competition for current Online marketers is quite real, and likely very near. The biggest hurdles will undoubtedly be language and market understanding. In the end, it's difficult enough to write effective sales letters in ones native language, even if addressed to market and culture you realize. As time passes, even those barriers will fall - face it, in the same way programming can be outsourced, so can marketing and language assistance.

The potential competition can sound ominous. And depending on your outlook, it could be. For every new product that pays affiliate commissions, there soon could be lots more marketers trying to promote it to the same audience. And for every new product of your you develop, similar products with more features and selling for a lower price could appear. That already happens now to an extent. Exactly what will it end up like with even more marketers and developers competing?

But change can even be good news. You being an individual marketer can either complain concerning the unfairness of it all, or you can choose to adapt your organization to the inevitable and prosper. As new marketers, and surfers generally, from China, India, and elsewhere come online, they'll also create entirely new markets to sell to, markets that weren't there only a short time ago. After all, as marketers they'll need the same types of services and products that western marketers need. So when surfers and eventual online buyers, their consumers will want not only western, but additionally regional and cultural goods, just as online shoppers in the western world do now. Of course, marketers in those regions will also compete within their local markets, along with western ones.

The globalization of Internet marketing will continue rapidly, without doubt about it. To stay in the overall game, western marketers would be well-advised to begin with their strategic planning for this trend now. New markets and new opportunities are forming - figure out how to spot them at a distance through global binoculars!

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.