By taking a look at Google’s Zeitgeist Archive, I realized that one of the most popular searches during the month of January 2007 was iPhone. Try .Mac today
iPhone is a slick small telephone/ipod/communications interface that finally puts in our hands the adult life version of a PSP. It makes absolute sense that as grown ups we still want to have toys to play. I personally like the way it looks and it seems like the interface (touch screen) would make it very easy to navigate.
But what is the main lesson behind the internet marketing of this product? Simple, the iPhone will not be available until June 2007! So that means that the announcement, the website, the features, the public relations and even some advertising is being performed more than 6 months in advance.
Most internet marketing should be a reaction of the companies pulling direction, not vice versa. The truth is, in most cases people first develop their websites and then they start search engine optimization, or search marketing or pay per click. I believe that with a congruent internet marketing strategy, a website should only be a part of the other online promotion strategies.
My recommendation is that next time you have a desire to build a web site, STOP; first research your market. come up with a good marketing strategy and then if you need a web site, build one.
* Extra Tip. Apple is also offering personalization of all their products. Why? Because once you build a new product and an important sales-pull is created, then the natural inclination is to personalize. Take for example the high school kids: You see them all wearing the same kind of cloths, maybe the same brand, but each one looks a little different(not too much). Why? Because they all want what everybody wants, but they also want to be unique. Bold move from Apple, since most of the time personalization is offered by other companies. Take a look at the personalization of the iPod nano: Get an iPod nano Personalized with Free Engraving at the Apple Store
