As the Online Industry matures, we often get asked if the tactics and strategies have matured also.  And, if so, do the same strategies still work a decade later? Below is a list of online programs that have been here over the years, as we rate their current effectiveness:

1. Banner Ads – May have worked “back in the day” but click through rates are at all-time lows. New types of ads are surfacing and companies like Microsoft are working on creating integrated systems and “smart ads” that remember you with the right message at the right time. Still, nobody clicks banners and haven’t for years. Buzz meter – DOWN.
2. Search Engine Optimization - By far, the most effective online strategy. Getting to the top of Google should be mission #1 for all websites. Even with the proliferation of websites and people understanding SEO, there is still lots of room here for growth. While we have matured and can no longer keyword stuff or hide text behind font treatments, those are all good things for searchers and for us. Go Google! Buzz meter – UP.
3. Pay Per Click Marketing – Great advances in the paid search platform technology have given us geo-targeting capabilities, quality page scores, content/placement site targeting, easy a/b and multivariate testing and better overall control over our bids and our budgets. Even with CPC’s rising and competitors clicking on our ads, we know PPC still delivers traffic. Buzz meter – UP
4. Email Marketing -  In-house, organic list – UP. Email list Rental – DOWN
5. Social Media Marketing – All the hype these days, SMM is a grown up version of the usenet groups 10 years ago. And SMM is still a great place to “share” with your friends.  As an interactive marketing tool, SMM can work extremely well. We’ve seen many successful campaigns launched in Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Microsites, Blogs, etc. However, results-to-date across the board have been mixed at best. AND we still as an Industry do not have reliable measurements. That said, the jury is still out on SMM. Buzz meter – MIXED.
6. Directory Links - Directory links are a great way to to give yourself a presence beyond the search engines. Some of the best directory links have been around longer than Google such as the Yahoo! Directory and DMOZ. Other directories like Best of the Web.com draw a large amount of visitors and are often worth your investment. Although not all directories are created equal, directory links are as reliable today as they’ve always been PLUS links in directories are highly favored by the search engines. Buzz meter – UP.

There are many ways to drive traffic online and successful results to your company. However, if we were to choose the best it would still have to be search engine marketing. Both SEO and PPC still deliver and drive targeted customers to your site wherever and whenever your customer searches (i.e. the right message at the right time). AND…Isn’t that what Microsoft is trying to do??