Internet Marketing sometimes is a fascinating term for some but confusing for others. Take the word internet alone and you can picture a lot of things in your mind. Marketing, however, may relate to selling. If you put both words together, internet marketing may imply selling something through the internet. If that was your first impression, then you were somehow right. But let’s dissect it further.

Though we could say conventional marketing existed even thousands of years ago, the internet had just started in the 1950′s or 60′s when the mainframes, computers and packet switching were created. Let’s fast forward to the mid 90′s though when the use of internet was starting to become a tool for commerce. Emails, two-way video conference calls, Voice over IP and the world wide web started to make an impact in cultures and commercial activities.

One might think that he’s already too late to start an internet marketing campaign about 16 years after the internet became popular. But let’s take a look at the 5 big names in the industry. Yahoo and eBay which started in 1994 and 1995, respectively, were the biggest names then. They seemed invincible. Millions would even think that it would take some time for others to outwit those great companies.

Who would ever think then that Google, YouTube and Facebook would pop up 10 years after? The guys behind these companies must be in their teens then when the internet exploded. Looking at the Alexa ranking today, the top 5 would be Google, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo and Live (eBay would be ranked 21st at this time of writing). What do you think would emerge as another big name 2 or 3 years from now? Would the giants today maintain their respective standings?

Yes, they are the biggest names, but could that stop you in practicing internet marketing today? Look at your surroundings. Do you see active SME’s (Small and Medium Enterprises) such as resto bars, resorts, spas, salons, etc. but are not visible online? Have you ever thought that they could have covered some prospected customers had they made websites for their products or services? In short, if they’re doing internet marketing, they could be more profitable. Nowadays, marketing should be done in both offline and online. Thus, if you’re an SME owner, you can start creating websites and populate them with related contents. Don’t worry, your customers will come if you’ve done them the right way.

If you were thinking of putting up one today, not necessarily putting in thousands of dollars as a capital expenditure, you can try investing in internet marketing by selling digital products. Just like an offline business, it’s never too late but may need time, discipline and a bit money as investments.

Try to start by knowing your passion. What do you really love doing? Do you love to cook? Can you make recipes of your own? Do you train dogs? If so, then you can make ebooks or DVD’s and sell them! Nowadays, you don’t have to have a publisher in order for others to see your creations. Consider that passion as your niche. And since you’ve already positioned yourself in a profitable niche, create a website. You can either have a blog or a one-page site to sell your products online. After which, market it. In the internet marketing world, it’s called generating traffic to your site.

Begin with the right attitude. Consider internet marketing as one of the tools to relay your message to the world, but keep that positive perspective. If you believe in your skills or passion, if you’re willing to be educated further in internet terms and processes, then internet marketing can more than accommodate you.