In much the same way as the industrial revolution changed the financial landscape of the developed world, the past few years has seen the gathering pace of the latest revolution to affect our world. This time however, the benefits are not limited by accessibility in the same way that used to exist.

Up until the explosion of the Internet into our lives, it was virtually impossible to compete nationally with market leaders in any field, let alone globally. The only advertising mediums were either TV advertising which represents a significant cost barrier to entry, or magazines which are again expensive and quite often niche, national newspapers a costly medium again, or regional advertising in the Yellow Pages. This is one of the most expensive ways of advertising nationally, but until the swift take up of Internet technologies, was a reliable method of finding customers.

There have been several points in history where the businesses that managed to adapt to new technologies the quickest and the best often succeeded where many others failed. There are many instances where pioneers have led the way, Henry Ford invented mass production lines almost single handed and in the same stroke managed to slash his costs, improve product quality and consistency and had a massive advantage over his rivals that has helped to carry the Ford Motor Company through leaner times.

The difference between the companies that adopt new technologies and those that are set in their ways is often profound. Now that is more true than ever as the opportunities for advancement come at an alarming rate.

The Internet has removed the barrier to entry that had previously stood in the way of many would be entrepreneurs. Many good ideas have gone to waste due to a lack of financial backing. With the advent of the Internet and especially Google, that financial barrier behind which many large corporations hid has now disappeared.

The potential held within the realms of the internet is unreal. A decent website and a year or two of good quality search engine optimisation will cost around 5,000-10,000 in total, and could result in your website being seen by billions of people. Before the Internet, an advertising campaign may have cost in excess of 100,000 and would not have gained nearly as much potential exposure.

The Internet is in its infancy, we are only just scratching the surface of this information revolution. 98% of all the information online is inaccessible to strangers as it has not been designed for search engines to read. Because of this, many good ideas are going to waste. It is only recently that SEO has reached the public consciousness. In 5 or 10 years what will the Internet look like?

The companies that embrace the technology now and use it to their advantage will be the companies who are sitting on top of the pile in a decades time.

The Internet is a truly great leveller, allowing virtually anyone with a good idea and a few pounds for a website to develop a service or a product and to sell it worldwide.