Early Customer Data Collection:

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Gartner's Probable Focus for B2C Lead Generation in 2000:
Gartner would likely have advised B2C companies to:

Establish a Web Presence (Table Stakes):

Core Message: "You must have a website." Not necessarily for sophisticated lead generation, but for brand credibility, information dissemination, and rudimentary customer service.
Lead Capture: Simple "Contact Us" forms, email newsletter sign-ups. The goal was to build an email list, which was a relatively new and exciting channel.
Online Catalogs: If an e-commerce component existed, it was likely basic, but the idea of consumers Browse products online was gaining traction.
Integrate Digital with Traditional:

Bridging Channels: Gartner would emphasize the need to link online presence with offline activities. For example, promoting website URLs in print ads, on TV, and in direct mail.
Call Centers/Toll-Free Numbers: The internet was a new touchpoint, but the primary conversion still often happened offline via phone calls or in-store visits.


Basic CRM: Businesses were beginning to see the value of canada phone number list collecting customer data, often through loyalty programs (though these were largely offline) and early, simple CRM systems. Gartner would be pushing for a more unified view of the customer, even if the tools were immature.
Website Analytics: Early web analytics tools were emerging (like WebTrends, Urchin before Google Analytics). Gartner would highlight the importance of tracking website visitors, page views, and basic click-through rates to understand online behavior.
Experiment with Online Advertising:

Banner Ads: These were the dominant form of online advertising. Gartner would likely be evaluating their effectiveness and advising on basic targeting strategies available at the time.
Search Engine Visibility: The importance of being found on search engines (Yahoo!, AltaVista, early Google) was beginning to be understood. Gartner would probably advise on basic SEO principles to ensure discoverability.
Gartner's Probable Focus for B2B Lead Generation in 2000:
For B2B, the shift to digital was arguably slower but equally impactful for Gartner's analysis.

Leverage the Internet for Information & Credibility:

Online Brochures: B2B websites were primarily informational, serving as expanded company brochures. Lead forms were typically generic "Request Information" or "Contact Sales."
Whitepapers/Case Studies (Basic): Companies might offer simple PDF downloads of whitepapers or case studies, which could be gated by an email form. This was an early form of content marketing for lead capture.