|
Building a Solid Foundation for
Marketing Success
© 2002
by Cavyl Stewart
It's a burning question. One asked by every online
business owner (and would-be business owner) on a regular
basis. Yet, there seems to be no defined answer.
Depending on whom you ask, you're likely to get a flurry of
different - and often conflicting - answers. What's
the question? "How do I effectively market my
online business?"
BEAT the Cold Winter of 2007 ARIZONA'S NEWEST WONDER
Kartchner Caverns State Park opened in 1999. This stunning limestone cave system is one of the top in the world. Visit Sunny Southwest this cold winter |
While the actual methods may vary, there are certain
fundamental things that simply must be in place before any
marketing attempts will be successful. So before you
begin spending hundreds or thousands of dollars, take a
moment to be sure your marketing foundation is solid.
Know Your Target Audience
This is the cornerstone of all your marketing efforts.
It is also, without a doubt, the one fatal mistake most
marketers make. Rather than taking the time to prepare an
in-depth outline of their preferred customers, they guess.
This generally results in a target audience definition that
reads something like this: "Anybody who wants to accept
payments online." That is simply too vague and
will inevitably result in a giant waste of both
your money and time when it comes to marketing effectively.
Basically, it makes for a very shaky marketing foundation.
Rather than guess. find out for sure! Do some
research, ask some questions, talk to people, and get a firm
grasp on who it is you'll be selling to. When you do,
you'll be able to make qualified and accurate decisions on:
* the type of copy to write,
* the best mediums for advertising,
* what benefits your audience is most interested in,
* their preferred payment and shipping methods,
* and much more!
BEAT the Cold Winter of 2007 ARIZONA'S NEWEST WONDER
Kartchner Caverns State Park opened in 1999. This stunning limestone cave system is one of the top in the world. Visit Sunny Southwest this cold winter |
Target Audience Analysis
When you analyze your target audience, you'll want to find
out the answers to questions such as the ones listed below.
Fill in the blanks with your product/service or area of
expertise.
* What _________ products/services do you currently buy?
* Why do you buy your current brand?
* What do you like about it?
* What could be improved?
* If you could recreate the product/service, how would you
change it?
* What Web sites do you frequent?
* What ezines or newsletters do you receive via email?
* Sex?
* Age?
* Annual income?
* Occupation?
* Title?
* Are you a business owner?
Obviously, there are many more questions you could add to
the list depending on your specific product or service.
This list, however, gives you a good starting point.
Once you create a list of questions, it's time to gather
information.
Getting the Info
There are several ways to gather information in order to
analyze your target market. Talk with people
one-on-one or in a group.
Conduct an online survey. SurveyMonkey.com offers an
excellent (and free) online survey tool. Make use of
online forums. Place a form on your site; if visitors
fill out the information, enter them in a contest to win a
prize.
Use your imagination. Find an "information
collection" method that works well for you. But
don't neglect to get the details about your future
customers. A firm grasp of your target audience is the
entire foundation of your marketing plan. Be very sure
yours is solid so your promotional efforts will deliver a
high return!
-----------------------------------------
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Looking for detailed, proven information on how to
effectively market your online business? Cavyl Stewart
has lots of FREE email courses at Web Biz Space University.
Choose from a variety of courses on email marketing,
publicity, Web sites, and more.
Get your FREE email courses today at
http://www.webbizspace.com/Free-Email-Courses.html.
|
Adlandpro
Toolbar gives you instant access to your
Free Email Account, Free Website, submission to
over 8,900 sites, learning tools, free discussion
list on marketing and promotion with 26,000
subscribers, Free 5 day Website Success course by
email, plus instant search. Click
Here. |
|