If you had to pick one thing to focus on in your online business for 2011, what would that be? I asked myself that question this week. If I had to recommend one strategy to every business of every kind, what strategy would I recommend?

(Disclaimer: the above question runs counter to the way I normally think. I personally don’t believe that there is any such thing as a one-size-fits-all strategy for business, so I took this on as a creative challenge.)

I finally settled on something that seemed like it should have been obvious all along: reading. Not just reading, but effective information absorption and processing.

Google has already been thinking this way for quite some time now – as well as the other search engines. They have understood for a long time now that sifting through massive amounts of data (that someone else created) and presenting it in a convenient package for the person who needs it, when they need it, is worth big bucks. According to this 2009 blog post about Google interview questions, Google structures their employee interviews to ensure that new hires know how to think this way.

The company who makes the most noise will no longer win the game. It’s about who develops the strongest capacity to process, digest, and act upon relevant information quickly. Note: this is not about gluttonous, compulsive over-consumption of useless information (Trivial Pursuit, anyone?) It’s about applying the 80/20 rule to information. (These days, it’s more like the 99/1 rule.)

If you aren’t sure how to do that in your business, just start reading! If you don’t have time to read, quit doing something else and make the time. You found time to read this blog post, didn’t you?

One good resource that I specifically recommend is the PhotoReading Whole Mind System. I took this course back in 2001, and I found that the methodology really does create a quantum leap in the assimilation of new data. While I haven’t practiced the techniques consistently, what I learned from the course has made a lasting difference. I’ve even considering taking it back up again during the last few months.

There are a lot of needles to be found, and the internet keeps making bigger haystacks every day. Don’t add more hay. The more needles you find and share with the world, the faster you will beat your competitors.

Stumped for last-minute gift ideas for your Internet-addicted friends and family members? The following are 5 ideas that can’t fail.

5 Gift Ideas for Internet Geeks

1. Apparel- Fashionably Geek has some great t-shirts, clothing and other goodies to help social media and Internet nerds accessorize their wardrobe.
2. iPad- Now available from Verizon (as well as AT&T), the iPad is a great device for people who are always on the go or who travel a lot and want to stay connected to the rest of the world without squinting at a tiny screen. [starting at $500]
3. Eye-Fi- Many of you probably haven’t heard of the Eye-Fi, and that’s ok. Available online or at your local Best Buy, the Eye-Fi is the first wireless memory card that looks, stores media and fits into most cameras similar to an SDHC card. Even more awesome is the fact that the Eye-Fi card has built-in Wi-Fi that uses your wireless network to easily transfer photos and videos [starting at $50]
4. Google TV- Available through Sony or Logitech, Google TV is similar to regular television in that it operates from a set-top box using a form of Google’s Android OS. It’s social + TV combined. Best of all, beginning in 2011, Android will become available for purchase, making Google TV an awesome gadget to have your hands on (if your a social media addict that is…). [starting at $300]
5. Livescribe Echo Smartpen- Don’t be fooled; this is no ordinary pen. The Livescribe Echo Smartpen features a microphone in the tip, built-in speaker, 400-800 hours of recorded audio storage (4GB or 8GB model), audio jack, micro-USB connector and an OLED high contrast display, to name a few. This pen is a definite must-have. [starting at $170]

For the social media addict who loves to read, the following are the top ten rated books on Amazon.com that fall under the “social media” category:

1. The New Rules of Marketing and PR, by David Meerman Scott [$10.60]
2. The Zen of Social Media Marketing, by Shama Kabani and Chris Brogan [$11.53]
3. The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success, by Lon Safko [$19.77]
4. Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business, by Erik Qualman [$11.53]
5. How to Make Money With Social Media, by Jamie Turner and Reshma Shah [$16.49]
6. Social Media Metrics: How to Measure and Optimize Your Maketing Investment, by Jim Sterne and David Meerman Scott [$16.47]
7. Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day, by Dave Evans and Susan Bratton [$19.79] (Click here to see our review!)
8. Social Media Marketing for Dummies, by Shiv Singh [$16.49]
9. The Social Media Marketing Book, by Dan Zarrella [$13.59]
10. Social Media Marketing: Strategies for Engaging in Facebook, Twitter & Other Social Media, by Liana Evans [$16.49]