Internet Marketing Important to DIY Consumers

As consumers become more accustomed to serving themselves, businesses will need to offer a growing array of self-service options. That means Internet marketing will become more important, said Scott Litman, president of Minneapolis-based Digital@jwt.

Research on automobile company Web sites, for example, shows that they now are the leading influencer of consumer buying decisions right up until the test drive, said Litman, whose firm built Ford Motor Company's Web site. In other words, the consumer is in the driver's seat, in more ways than one. And for a growing number of Americans, that's just how they want it.