This time of year brings an annual event my entire family enjoys: the Renaissance Festival. My parents usually migrate here from their Florida home just to go with us to this family-fun outing, and this year was no exception. The night before our planned day trip, I noticed my mother frantically trying to find a pen. She had seen an ad for some type of fabric glue and wanted to write down the toll-free number.

“It would come in handy when we’re traveling in the RV,” she said, “I need to write down the number to find out more.”

This brought awkward glances and snickers from the rest of the family. I pointed out the website listed at the bottom of the screen which was easier to remember.

“Pull out your laptop, and we’ll look online.” I suggested.

Just in that instant, it dawned on me just how much the world has changed in one generation. We no longer have to wait for the evening news to forecast the next day’s weather. If we want to learn more about a product at any time of the day, we can simply enter its website and find what we’re searching for.
In fact, my phone book sits unused beneath my telephone with an embarrassing layer of thin dust on it. It’s never been touched, except for the day it was tossed on my porch. I replaced last year’s book (which had never been used) and forgot about it.

Mom and I visited the product’s website and were both disappointed by the quality of it. She decided not to buy the product based on what she saw. Even on the Internet, first impression is king. The general public has grown wary of being fooled.

“There’s not even secure ordering!” my mother noted.

Not derailed, we performed a Google search for fabric glue and found a leading competitor’s site. This site was uncluttered, had secure ordering, and even seals of approval from highly-ranked RV clubs abounded. We were able to purchase it for less than what was blared from the TV.

The power of marketing on the Internet is explosive. How you or your product is represented there can make or break you. It is undeniable that the Internet and its related media helped President-Elect Obama achieve world-wide recognition.

When you consider representing yourself or your product on the Internet, remember: you are not just stepping outdoors to face the people you find there. You are stepping outdoors to face the world. First Impression still applies, and you only get one chance.