The iPad has arrived with gusto. It’s hardly the first, but it’s definitely not the last. This week Dell announced plans for their own tablet computer, following similar announcements by, well, just about every other tech company with an interest in staying competitive. Even money says another company or two or six reveals plans for a tablet next week.

So what does this mean for your Internet marketing strategy? Do you now need a regular site, a mobile site, and some weird tablet-oriented hybrid of both? Three sites?

According to R2Integrated:

Because the iPad is now a receiving device, count on the creation of an entire Internet-based or e-based advertising platform around it. This will usher in a new era of services offered by digital marketing companies, ad agencies, brand managers, and more, and you will actually witness a new advertising model evolving very quickly—not unlike the advertising paradigm that evolved on laptops with the first generation of Internet publishing.

Kikabink News points out that NPR and the Wall Street Journal already have iPad versions of their own sites. And ReadWriteWeb sums it with an almost grim take on the new Internet marketing reality:

Thanks to varying screen sizes and differing feature sets (most notably Apple’s refusal to allow Flash on their mobile devices), those who want to provide compelling content to all their site visitors will be forced to re-code their site multiple times. Publishers without the resources to do so will have to make a tough choice — remove the unsupported content and the media that makes it slow to load on mobile devices entirely? Or leave it be and risk losing their mobile audience instead? That’s a “Sophie’s Choice” no one wants to make. Unfortunately, in a down economy where money is tight, that may be just what happens.

So what’s next for Internet marketing — sites that are 3D compatible?

If your company is just starting to dip its toe into the Internet marketing game, and hasn’t even started thinking about a mobile-friendly site yet — take a deep breath. Look at the coming spread of iPads and other “tablets” as an opportunity — not a burden. Because while iPhone app makers are scrambling to redesign their apps specifically for the iPad—and while, yes, it might become advantageous to develop iPad-oriented versions of your company’s website—an iPad site isn’t something you’ll necessarily need right away.

Why? Let’s take a look at how iPads will probably be used:

They’re small, accesible and can operate easily on mobile 3G networks via the same operating system as the iPhone. This means they’ll likely be used similarly to smartphones, whose users are often seeking quick, easily accessible information on the fly like phone numbers and driving directions.

But iPads also feature bigger screens and touchscreen keyboards, meaning users are more likely to rely on them for more typical web browsing than they would a smartphone.

So build an easy-to-use mobile version with easy access to your more-developed regular site, and you’ll have something for both of the iPad’s primary uses. Worry about more iPad-specific tweaks when the industry that sprouts up around the new technology shakes out a bit.

For now, there are a few changes to be aware of. Take AdWords targeting, for example:

AdWords users who feel an urge to target iPad owners can now do so without reaching out to people carrying Android devices and iPhones, as well. Google’s added an option to its “networks and devices” screen that’ll allow advertisers to adopt a narrow focus.

A post on the Inside AdWords blog announced late yesterday, “[W]e feel confident adding the iPad to the list of mobile devices that you can target specifically. To do this, simply edit the ‘Devices’ section in your Campaign Settings, and select the iPad under ‘Advanced device and carrier options.’”

More research will show in time just how people are using the iPads, and the best methods for businesses to target them. Of course, we’ll keep you updated.