I'm a member of the baby boomer generation, getting close to retirement age, but not quite ready for the rocking chair, yet! I grew up with the traditional models of business: In brick and mortar buildings, franchises of the same, face to face interactions with merchants, maybe some direct mail order through catalogs. These models and business opportunities are still alive and well and will be around for a long time. So I ask myself, "Why should I learn internet marketing?"

To answer that question we need to consider some facts. According to the giant search engine, Google's, statistics, there are three BILLION (with a B) people using the internet, from all over the world. And more countries are being added as technology expands. This means that the whole world could potentially be your customer base. Information and technology will only continue to grow exponentially, and learning new things is what keeps our brains nimble and sharp.

The internet operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No matter what product or service you are offering, you must advertise to let people know about it. The right marketing system will advertise, gather potential clients' information, make a sale and even begin the follow up process with your customer, all while you are sleeping.

An Internet marketing business is cost effective and usually costs a tiny fraction of what a traditional "brick and mortar" franchise or even an MLM, that requires you to buy a certain amount of product, costs to start up. A typical franchise opportunity can cost $25,000 to $250,000 or much more to start, and take several years to see a profit.

Nowadays, most traditional companies that have been around for decades also have an online presence. They see the power and leverage they can achieve by advertising their products online. Their customers can order from the comfort of their homes and have things shipped directly to them. The business owner has a streamlined process that is faster, easier and more economical to run - a win-win situation for all concerned.

For me, the ultimate reason to learn internet marketing is freedom - freedom to do my business where and when I want, and work around my family's schedule. All I need is a laptop and internet connection, and I can do business from anywhere in the world. The ultimate in portability! Time is a precious commodity. Internet marketing allows you to leverage your time to accomplish much more. Internet marketing is, and will continue to be, the face of the future for business.