If you have a presence on the Web, you can use online forms to collect information from people who visit your Web pages. These forms require a fairly sophisticated setup, so keep that in mind when shopping for a Web site provider.
You can also collect information from the email you receive -- inquiries, requests for reports, and other communication.
A lot of people online have several different email addresses, so unless you can put a name with an email address, you may think you're dealing with two or three different people when you're really just dealing with one. If you institute some sort of tracking system, using a computerized database or contact management software, you can get a better handle on who you're dealing with in the online marketplace. Online marketing can generate a lot of useful information, but it is only useful to the extent that you organize and utilize it.
© 1995 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All rights reserved.