Internet marketing is very important for any successful 21st century company, but because of this, the market is also saturated with tactics and advertising. How can you stand out from the pack? Here are five questions you need to ask yourself about your business. The answers hold the keys to making the most impactful Internet marketing campaigns possible.

Who is your target market and what types of content do they typically consume on the Internet? Just like in traditional marketing, knowing your target market in and out will help you make the right decisions when it comes to Internet marketing tactics. You need to understand what websites your target market typically uses, what times of day they normally web surf and what their spending habits are online. Most importantly, you need to define what type of content they are attacted to. If you are writing long form essays about your product and your target market is young students, then you may be heading in the wrong direction content-wise.

How can you engage your target audience to get them sticking around on your website for longer? The Internet is a very social, interactive medium, so you need to build interactivity into your Internet marketing. Websites and promotions that are merely informational, with no interactivity, may not have the power to keep web visitors interested for more than a few minutes. You need these visitors to explore your website, visit many pages, and interact with your products. When you get them to do that, then you are one step closer to having a true buyer, not just a web surfer.

Do your web visitors have a reason to return to your website? You may have the most interactive site in the world, but if it never changes there is no reason for anyone to ever return for another look. You need to build a content strategy into your website, whether that be actual stories or revolving discounts that are featured on the home page. The sky is the limit when it comes to content, but remember to keep it relevant to your brand or a topic related to it.

Can search engines find you? Even if you’ve built an amazing website using strong Internet marketing principles, you’re not going to get the web traffic you want unless you search engine optimize it. Learn how to pepper proper keywords into your content and how to map out website navigation that is easiest for a search engine to analyze and rank. Promote links to your website on social media and recommend others pass on the web page to their friends and associates. SEO is a big field, so these are very basic suggestions. It’s best to continue researching and make the most of it with your Internet marketing.

Is it easy for potential customers to contact you directly? If a potential customer can’t find your contact information, or you only give them one way to reach you during limited hours, then you are doing yourself a major disservice. The Internet is a 24-hour-a-day medium. There is no down time, so be sure to offer as many flexible contact options as you can.

When you’ve answered these questions, you will have all the information you need to make a proper Internet marketing roadmap for your business. Remember, there is steep competition out there online for traffic, so you need to do what you can to stand out.