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Marketers who choose not to devote significant time and effort to the Hispanic population are missing out on a vital consumer segment that is growing faster than any other minority group in the United States. In fact, businesses should consider implementing new approaches and strategies to target Hispanics. Perhaps the most effective way to reach this evolving market is through the Internet.

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Speak any language long enough, and you'll become fluent; take on the mindset of a strategist and you'll start to see things through a strategist's eyes. And others will notice the change in you--you'll find yourself more and more being called on to act as counsel on all matters customer.

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The good news is that the technology that allows you to market via the Internet is far from reaching its full potential. Much of the early energy in online marketing was spent finding ways to distribute marketing messages in new ways. Now, much of the online marketing energy is spent collecting information about prospective customers--literally mining information that will help you fine-tune your marketing efforts and generate a maximum return on investment. Here are five new uses of technology that will help you get the most out of your existing online marketing programs.

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In part one of this article, we talked about the uniqueness of B2B marketing and the dominant role of search engines in the B2B buying process. So it goes without saying that good search engine visibility is an excellent way to boost profitability. Now it's time to explore the return on investment, as well as the effectiveness and flexibility of search engine marketing, focusing on organic site optimization.

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Most businesses these days are under pressure to differentiate their products and services to attract new business. Although customers can play an important role in helping companies define their differentiation, a surprising number of businesses decide to skip this important customer research and launch offerings based on what “we think our customers want.” Companies risk building offerings that customers do not want to buy by bringing products and services to market without fully understanding what customer’s need, why they need it and how they need to purchase it. How can companies remain aligned with customer needs?

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The client relationship built on a strong foundation of constant, varied, and sincere communication has less of a chance of being pushed aside when someone new comes along or happens to be the last one in the door. Follow these five guidelines and the chances of your phone ringing the next time your client needs a service will be much greater.

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In the literary world, "good writing" may be notoriously difficult to define. But on the Web, good copy has two clear, easily understood objectives: It elevates your search engine rankings, and it attracts qualified traffic and holds the attention of your prospects and customers. On the Web, your words carry a lot of weight. Fortunately, you can build verbal muscle, fast. Following are five tips you can apply right now (with a minimum of time or technical hassle) to dramatically improve the effectiveness of your Web site writing.

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A recent book by a popular CRM expert declared the era of the 4 Ps effectively over. The author argues that product, promotion, price and place are no longer key to providing sustainable differentiation. While the author makes many compelling points, the key question remains: has the oligarchy been dethroned and is the reign of the 4 Ps over? Simply stated, the answer is no. Or to paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated!

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This week, read your answers to a previous dilemma: What are the most effective ways to launch a Web site for teens who have little spending money? Also this week, add your two cents to the current dilemma: What makes for compelling Web copy?

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Cliff Atkinson has been writing for MarketingProfs about PowerPoint (and other graphical presentation tools) for more years. How much, really, is there to say about PowerPoint? Well, plenty, as it turns out.

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In the search engine optimization and marketing industry, there's been a rule of thumb: Longer keyword phrases have better conversion rates. But that's not the whole truth: conversion rates peak at four-word phrases. Here are strategies you should consider when developing keywords for your optimization and pay-per-click campaigns.

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Between getting caught in spam filters or being blocked by ISPs and disappearing in the sheer volume of email that's out there, it's tough to guarantee that your newsletter actually gets into the hands of your customer. Recently, the author worked with a client to improve his newsletter delivery rate by 22%. Read the following case study to see the small changes she made that made such a dramatic difference.

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The best Web sites get to the point. They ruthlessly eliminate waffle and happy talk. They focus on helping people complete key tasks as quickly as possible. The truth is, the Web is a selfish place. People don't have much time. They scan pages looking for something specific. Most people have absolutely no interest in links such as "What We Do" and "Who We Are." They only care about what you can do for them. As Jeffrey and Bryan Eisenberg write in their new book: "Virtually all Web sites have a persuasive purpose: to get someone to subscribe, to register, to inquire or to buy something." In other words, the crucial measure of success is the actions that have occurred.

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The competitive environment makes branding for real estate brokers and agents a critical issue. However, there are a few common misconceptions about marketing real estate services. Like these.

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Two years ago, Maytag created an innovative experiential marketing strategy, whereby prospective customers would take their new, top-of-the-line appliances for an interactive "test-drive." Successful retail spaces create a full sensory experience. Consumers want to see, feel, touch, taste and interact with your products before they buy. Here are some strategies that will help you stage a little retail theater of your own.

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Last week, the author hopefully opened your eyes to the importance of staying on top of reviews and posts about your products and services—as well as those about your competition. Here's how to use that information at various levels of your organization to create a better customer experience.

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When it comes to succeeding in today's competitive marketplace, the "fine" is just as vulgar and undesirable as the other four-letter word that begins with F. If your reputation is "fine," you're in trouble. People rarely get excited in life about things that are fine, and they rarely have emotional connections to them. Here's a five-step plan for eliminating the F-word (and others like "adequate" and "acceptable") from your vocabulary.

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In a world where everything is becoming commoditized, the key to success becomes differentiation. That's becoming more difficult to achieve. Perhaps the biggest differentiation in building a business is service. That retains customers, gets them to buy again and inspires them to become apostles for you. But what kind of differentiation helps you acquire customers in the first place if your product or service appears to be a commodity?

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Organizations today understand that the Internet can play a critical role in their success when leveraged correctly, and they hire Web firms for their proven ability to solve critical business issues. That requires a well-crafted request for proposal. That approach works great if you write the right RFP. Here's how.

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Surprise, you no longer own 100% your brand online! Approximately 26% of adult users of the Internet (about 33 million people) in the US have rated a product, service or person using an online rating system. Are you one of them? Probably. More importantly, has your business/organization been discussed or reviewed online?