For most firms, it doesn’t produce results. Most Fixers who say they have the answer, don’t. The Search Engines don’t disclose exactly how they choose Sites, just like credit rating firms don’t tell how they get your score.
That means that Site owners have to go on faith that the Fixer is telling the truth. After a few experiences, the Site owners don’t believe anyone. But this doesn’t justify not getting involved.
It is hard to imagine any firm with long term aspirations not harnessing the internet to fight their competition. The competition is not only people you know, it is people you don’t know and it is emerging firms you don’t know and emerging technologies and innovations you don’t know.
Your Brand has to stand for something. General Electric and Ford are not the same company’s formed by their fore bearers but they have a brand that means something. The world is always changing and every industry will move from caterpillar to butterfly. A Brand allows a firm to keep their following through the changes.
The internet allows you to build your Brand. Part of a Brand is keeping contemporary with current tastes and communications. The public wants to know who you are, what you do and what you stand for. Like in politics, transparency in this age of paranoia is crucial. Right now Social Media is a great way to create a Brand regardless of how well known you are.
It is relatively inexpensive, can create the perfect following, and allows a firm to get their feet wet before expending a lot of money building a new site. Most sites need to be tuned rather than rebuilt.