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Marketing for Success: 4 Strategies for
Online Businesses
© 2002
by Angela Wu
The success of any online business depends in large part
on where and how it's marketed. After all, a website sitting
all by its lonesome in cyberspace isn't going to do much
good; people have to be able to find it first!
But that's only where it begins. Once your website is
getting traffic, it's next job is to convert visitors into
paying customers. From there, your job is to try to
turn customers into repeat buyers or into a source of
referrals.
Here are four major types of marketing to incorporate into
your marketing plan:
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1. TARGETED MARKETING
Who is your target audience, what do they want, and how do
you reach them? Understanding your audience is the
first step to a successful marketing campaign. There are
many ways to reach your target audience on the Internet,
including search engines, links, ezine advertising, joint
ventures, and more.
Don't neglect to research your 'offline' market as
well
-- many people still prefer to be contacted in the 'real
world', rather than through cyberspace! For more information
on offline marketing methods, visit
http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/articles/checklist3.html
2. PERMISSION MARKETING
'Spam' -- unsolicited email -- can cause varied reactions
from minor irritation to outright rage. You don't have to
spam in order to get business; people acknowledge that there
are products and services about which they're willing to
receive information. The Internet has proved this to be
true: how many times have you willingly signed up to receive
a newsletter?
Some methods of permission marketing include publishing a
newsletter; offering product or service announcements or
updates; and using an autoresponder to distribute reports,
articles, stories, etc. Subscription forms can be
placed on your site so that visitors can indicate
their interest.
By getting a visitor's permission to contact them, you
accomplish a couple of things:
a) You're able to market to them regularly (unless
they choose to unsubscribe). For various
reasons,
many people do not make immediate
purchases. When
you have permission to contact them
regularly, you
are more likely to catch them at a time
that *they're*
ready to buy.
b) Subscribers have automatically 'qualified'
themselves
as interested prospects. You can focus
your efforts
on marketing to them, rather than to
visitors who
have no real interest in your products
and services.
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3. RELATIONSHIP MARKETING
Relationship marketing has to do with the way you treat your
visitors, prospects, and customers. Unless you operate a
site with a well-known brand, people aren't buying from a
'website' -- they're buying from other people. Treat
them as people instead of 'just another
customer number.'
A few ways to help accomplish your goal include offering an
opt-in newsletter - over time, readers will come to know and
trust you; answer email and phone calls promptly and
courteously; or offer a little something extra, such as
simple 'thank you' or Christmas cards by postal mail.
A little extra effort 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
business before they're comfortable making a purchase.
So how do you inspire confidence with visitors who have no
previous experience with you?
First, use some basic, old-fashioned common-sense when
creating your site. For example, if you're selling
information about how you made a fortune in the stock
market, don't host your site on a free domain that's packed
with popups and popunders.
Other ways include posting testimonials from happy
customers; writing articles, columns or interviews to
establish recognition as an 'expert'; and asking customers
to refer others to your business.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical
guide to building an Internet business on a shoestring
budget. If you're tired of hype and just want solid,
down-to-earth information, then visit us today -- and in
moments you can have access to loads of instantly useable
tips, specifically chosen for beginners
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