Marketing For Success
By Angela Wu, Sat Dec 10th
The success of any online business depends in large part onwhere and how it's marketed. After all, a website sitting all byits lonesome in cyberspace isn't going to do much good; peoplehave to be able to find it first! But that's only where it begins. Once your website is gettingtraffic, it's next job is to convert visitors into payingcustomers. From there, your job is to try to turn customers intorepeat buyers or into a source of referrals. Here are four majortypes of marketing to incorporate into your marketing plan: __1. TARGETED MARKETING
Who is your target audience, what do they want, and how do youreach them? Understanding your audience is the first step to asuccessful marketing campaign. There are many ways to reach yourtarget audience on the Internet, including search engines,links, ezine advertising, joint ventures, and more. Don't neglect to research your 'offline' market as well -- manypeople still prefer to be contacted in the 'real world', ratherthan through cyberspace! For more information on offlinemarketing methods, visithttp://onlinebusinessbasics.com/articles/checklist3.html __2. PERMISSION MARKETING 'Spam' -- unsolicited email -- can cause varied reactions fromminor irritation to outright rage. You don't have to spam inorder to get business; people acknowledge that there areproducts and services about which they're willing to receiveinformation. The Internet has proved this to be true: how manytimes have you willingly signed up to receive a newsletter? Some methods of permission marketing include publishing anewsletter; offering product or service announcements orupdates; and using an autoresponder to distribute reports,articles, stories, etc. Subscription forms can be placed on yoursite so that visitors can indicate their interest. By getting a visitor's permission to contact them, youaccomplish a couple of things: a) You're able to market to them regularly (unless they chooseto unsubscribe). For various reasons, many people do not
makeimmediate purchases. When you have permission to contact themregularly, you are more likely to catch them at a time that*they're* ready to buy. b) Subscribers have automatically 'qualified' themselves asinterested prospects. You can focus your efforts on marketing tothem, rather than to visitors who have no real interest in yourproducts and services. __3. RELATIONSHIP MARKETING Relationship marketing has to do with the way you treat yourvisitors, prospects, and customers. Unless you operate a sitewith a well-known brand, people aren't buying from a 'website'-- they're buying from other people. Treat them as peopleinstead of 'just another customer number.' A few ways to help accomplish your goal include offering anopt-in newsletter - over time, readers will come to know andtrust you; answer email and phone calls promptly andcourteously; or offer a little something extra, such as simple'thank you' or Christmas cards by postal mail. A little extraeffort can help your business to stand out from the rest. __4. CONFIDENCE AND CREDIBILITY MARKETING People have to trust you and have confidence in your businessbefore they're comfortable making a purchase. So how do youinspire confidence with visitors who have no previous experiencewith you? First, use some basic, old-fashioned common-sense when creatingyour site. For example, if you're selling information about howyou made a fortune in the stock market, don't host your site ona free domain that's packed with popups and popunders. Other ways include posting testimonials from happy customers;writing articles, columns or interviews to establish recognitionas an 'expert'; and asking customers to refer others to yourbusiness.
About the author:_________ ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Angela is the editor of Online BusinessBasics, a practical guide to building an Internet business on ashoestring budget. If you're tired of hype and just want solid,down-to-earth information, then visit us today -- and in momentsyou can have access to loads of instantly useable tips,specifically chosen for beginners!http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html |
