For many CEO's, Marketing and Sales leaders, the end of 2013 represents an opportunity to plan for better future and growth in 2014.  But, what if you were planning around the wrong marketing strategies in this ever-changing online world?  Like a skydiver, many of us trust that our "marketing" parachute will open and we will be able to reach our goals. But what if it doesn't?

In spite of the uncertainty, here are ten "I know" statements that will calm the butterflies of jumping into the marketing valley of doubt, lets ensure your parachute opens. Answer YES, or NO to the following tips.

1. I know ______:  ... my Starting Point. These are the metrics that show today’s performance from start to finish of the Marketing and Sales Cycle. Where we are today, and where you need to be in order to profitably grow.
2. I know ______: ... that my marketing and sales communications allow my company’s customers to understand “Why Us? What’s in it for them?” when compared to all other options available to them."
3. I Know ______: ... that through online research and peer reviews, prospects move 60% through the buying process before contacting a short list of sellers? And, since 57% of customers begin their product research on a search engine, I know the ever-evolving keywords they use to search the web for solutions like mine (According to the Digital Marketing report companies that use SEO and SMO say they generate 80% of their leads online).
4. I know ______: ... that 70-90% of all website visitors are not yet ready to purchase. So, does my website segments these visitors and nurtures them to move them through my buying cycle?
   
5. I know ______: ... that my company shows up at the top of page 1 of a Google Search? and if it doesn’t yet, do I implement other online strategies, such as Pay-per-Click, to gain ranking faster?
   
6. I know ______: ... that to cost-effectively operate a high performance Internet marketing program, I need the all-in-one automation technology that allows me to deploy and measure all aspects of my online marketing program –keyword optimization, blogging, email marketing, analytics. These software programs are akin to an online marketing Swiss Army Knife
7. I know ______: ...that the customer wisdom captured by my salespeople finds its way into my marketing content, and my marketing best practices find their way into sales presentations and proposals.
8. I know ______: ... that to stay on top, I need to approach each month as if I was back at the beginning. Question everything: website traffic, leads, conversions, contacts. How far have we come when compared to your customers’ needs and key competitors’ actions?
9. I know ______:  ... the basics of the online battle-field.  I evaluate my internal marketing strengthens and weakness and create partnerships that will help me reach and maintain an online competitive edge. Learn more: 6 Strategies to Increase Web Traffic and Conversion.
10. I know ______: ... that in today´s hypercompetitive world, it takes an exciting brand, website and internet marketing program to succeed. Without excitement, brands are ignored, websites won´t motivate, social communities won´t recommend, e-mails get dumped, and budgets get wasted.
    

Even in the mist of uncertainty, knowing where your company stands for each of these 10 aspects of your marketing can help you plan for better future and growth in 2014. For a friendly, supportive and helpful look at what’s changing and what might make a huge difference for you in 2014, schedule a complimentary consultation