Consumers have a new tool in their tool belt today: the mouse.Today's consumers are using the Internet to find information,obtain advice and buy products at an increasing pace. Thoughface-to-face customer interaction and phone calls are not goingaway, they're no longer enough. To stay relevant to your clients,you have to add a digital relationship to supplant your traditionalones.

It used to be that you would go to a travel agent, stockbrokeror a financial institution to obtain information. Yet, today,information has found its freedom; it's escaped. You can obtain allthe information you need about a product in seconds, and compareyour offer to hundreds of others. We can't control the flow ofinformation anymore, so we have to be available everywhere,24/7.

You might be thinking, that's not true in the credit unionindustry. Ours is a complex sale, an expensive proposition, arelationship business.

Perhaps that is still true, but realize as soon as you make youroffer your customers are going to Google your competitor. And ifyou are not online today, they may never find you in the firstplace.

Over 50% of U.S. retail will be affected by Internet search injust two years. And that has changed the world of marketing.

Marketing used to be a one-way street–the brand talking to you.Now marketing is a two-way street as consumers are involved andengaged with blogs, wikis, shared video and social networks. Andperhaps this is why Yellow Pages sales are expected to decrease 40%during the next four years.

Many industries have already adapted to this new reality. Duringthe last several years, 18,000 travel agents have closed theirdoors, but 18,000 are still with us–the ones who continue to addvalue. Companies who will do well in this new environmentunderstand that the Internet is a tool and customers aremultichannel animals. We can't predict what door they will enter,so we must open them all and make them work together, branch, phoneand Web.

At the dawn of e-commerce many companies just dumped theirbrochures on the Web and called it a day. Today's consumer demandsthe ability to learn all about your product and make transactions24/7.

Building a Web presence that can effectively deal withincreasingly complex products and customers requires stepping backand realizing that our digital presence should be about building adigital relationship with our clients and prospects.

Like any relationship, digital relationships start withattraction. Curiosity then leads prospects and clients to yourwebsite to explore what you have to offer. Next, they want to learnmore about your products and services. Then, hopefully, you buildtrust. If you do all that, they'll communicate with you, either onthe phone, in your office or over the Internet and make thepurchase. Now you've got a client, and you can deepen thatrelationship, ensuring they'll return.

In the beginning stages of the Internet's popularity, we thoughtpeople were surfing. As we've learned more, we realize they're notsurfing–they're searching. They're out there looking for what youoffer, and you have to be a beacon to attract them. Today, the Webis all about search. To get prospective clients to find you, youhave to know what they're looking for.

Think like a consumer to solve their problems. What is yourprospective client looking for? What type of financial product dothey need, and how can they land on exactly the right page that hasthat product?

Social media is a great way to attract people. It's all aboutsharing and learning. Advertising Age said you can't control whatpeople say about you on the Web, but you can be a good listener.Listen to what people are saying–good and bad–about you on the Weband use that knowledge to improve your product and your webpresence.

Once people get to your website, you have to make them curious.If people are curious, they will start exploring. Make sure allyour products are available in a clean and simple way.

With financial products, which many prospective clients may notunderstand, learning is important. You have to explain, explain,explain. At the same time, be careful not to overwhelm prospectswith too much technical detail. People read very quickly online, sogive them the right level of information. On your website, offerbite-size pieces of information about the products and services youoffer.

One of the best ways to build trust with a prospective client isto tell them what other people think. Online retailers do that withreviews. In your world, testimonials serve the same purpose.Testimonials are a very powerful way to begin to build trust.

Once a client has purchased, use email to effectively deepenyour relationship. Email can cross sell, introduce new products andkeep you top of mind.

Work your clients through each stage of the digital relationshipto be successful in this new wired world. Think about your digitalstrategy in concert with your overall customer experience strategy.Multichannel customers move channels in an instant, and expect eachchannel to know what they've done in the others, and for all tooffer the same level of service.

If you can create a vision for your company of how the steps ofdigital relationships can improve your overall customer relations,you are well on your way to success in the wired world. Of course,then there's mobile. ;-) 

Terry Jones is founder of Travelocity.com and chairman ofKayak.com.
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