Did you know that Nintendo started as a playing card manufacturer? Or that DuPont started out as a gunpowder mill? These companies changed as the world changed around them, while the once-huge companies that didn’t change fell away.

Is your business exactly the same as the day you opened its doors? Of course not. You want to grow, not just stay the same…and you certainly don’t want to shrink. The world is changing around you and every aspect of your business needs to keep up with the times if you’re going to survive into the next decade.

If you’re relying on marketing techniques that you’re comfortable with, you might not make it: because newspaper readership is down, advertising is the lowest it’s been since 1950. Why advertise if the eyes aren’t there? And entrepreneur.com calls the yellow pages the least effective marketing tool you can use. You can’t rely on non-working marketing tools just because they feel safe…because they’re not, and the world just isn’t interested in them anymore.

Now the good news about reaching customers: around 80% of households have high speed internet, and it’s the first place they go to find products and services. Meanwhile, more than half of Americans have a smartphone. It’s actually easier and cheaper to advertise to people today than it ever has been…it’s just that their eyes have moved to digital media. But if your website isn’t smartphone-ready, you’re losing half of your potential customers, many of whom are in the prime earning (and spending) parts of their life. If your business is shrinking while your competition is growing, it’s because they have embraced not only what the web is but what it will be.

You’ve probably heard this saying that is often (mis)attributed to Albert Einstein: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” It’s a sound piece of advice…print ads and antique web pages are dying, and their businesses are dying with them.

Marketing technique is like daylight savings time: it’s going to change whether you like it or not, and if you don’t do it it will affect your business! Start thinking about Web 3.0 today and make sure your business will be around tomorrow.