People often say that the internet has created a new way of doing business and in some respects they're right. But what strikes me are the similarities wtih what has gone before.
It seems to be true that Websites have to please customers whereas earlier media needed to put advertisers first. Then again, subscription only magazines and subsidised or subscriber-based Public Service Broadcasting always put customers first. And when you think about it, many websites won't survive unless they attract the visitors advertisers want to reach.
As someone in the retailing business, I notice how alike a successful website and a successful shop are. Both need to decide which market segment or 'tribe' they're aiming at. For both, customers come first (or they should). Both need to have an attractive window to lure their target in. Both need to lead their visitors around their site with clear signage. Neither can afford to overwhelm their visitors with too much information or too many choices in one go. They both have to be user friendly. Both need to provide a straightforward buying process (if we're talking about an e-shop). The internet is great at one-to-one marketing but this is what the best shops do, with their regular customers at least.
Of course there are important differences. An e-shop can reach niche markets with a 'long tail' of products that even the biggest mail order catalogue could not previously have served. A website needs to make its sale through its copy and images, whereas a bricks'n'mortar store has staff who can help a customer to the product that's right for them. An e-shop has a much better opportunity to get to 'know' its customers by tracking their movements and purchases.
Speed and scale have changed and every medium has its quirks, but I believe that the basics of good marketing are the same whether the channel is old or new.
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