Friday, October 27, 2006

Everything you do leads to a transaction!

Everything you do online either moves you toward or away from a transaction. That can be said of any marketing activity - online or offline. Business online is about making those transactions at the lowest cost possible.

Here are 6 ways you can keep people in conversation and interested:
  1. Use an email autoresponder
  2. Build mailing lists
  3. Blog
  4. Advertise
  5. Network
  6. Market with affiliates/strategic partners

Make your transactions as cost-effective as you can and then test them to be sure your spread between cost and gross revenue [profit!] is at an acceptable level for your business.

Paula Bonelli
A S A P Website Promotion





Tuesday, October 24, 2006

9 Ways to Market Your Business Online


DO YOU NEED…a website? Or just better website results?

You want your business to grow, right? You love what you do and want to be successful! Whatever service or product you offer, you can grow your business by marketing it on the Internet. Don't know how?

Here are 9 ways to market your business online:

  1. You can multiply your profits by creating an e-commerce website. Whether you sell a service or a physical product, you can expand your target market to include online customers. It's convenient. Once you are set up online, you can take orders and sell stuff 24/7. It can all be automated so you can earn money while you sleep or while you are away.
  2. Build your contact list. Create ways for people to give you their contact information. Once you've identified your target market and drive them to your site, they are pre-qualified customers that are ready to buy - so be ready to keep in touch with them by collecting their name and email address.
  3. Get targeted traffic to your site by writing articles, newsletters, emails, blogs, etc. and distributing them to your current customers. This will help you become a trusted source in your field. Take it a step further and find resources online for where you can distribute your written content.
  4. For those of you who just don't like to 'sell', the Internet is a non-threatening environment. It's an easier place to market your product or yourself effectively if you don't like to be in front of people. You don't have to be a polished presenter, invest in a fancy wardrobe and spend hours preparing materials for public speaking. Using online tools, it's easy. For example, you can translate your knowledge into a 'how-to' article, edit it at your leisure, and send it out to your list with the click of button.
  5. Link to other sites. Link popularity is important in building traffic to your site. Link to others sites that are directly relevant to your site content and target market. Seek quality sites and be prepared to tell them why you think linking to you is beneficial to them. The search engines love relevant links.
  6. Viral Marketing - the 'Pass Along'. If your readers find value in your information, they will want to share it with friends and business associates. Be sure to include, a "forward to a friend" or "pass along" link so that it's easy for them to circulate material for you.
  7. Get in front of your target market offline by:
    -joining your local chamber
    -joining professional groups in your field
    -speaking at industry events
    Networking is the best offline tool for building relationships, and relationships lead to sales.
  8. Include your web address in all printed material. Be sure to use your web address on:
    -business cards
    -hand-outs
    -brochures
    -any printed material you distribute
  9. Make your website the center of your marketing efforts - don't make it an afterthought. Use your site to give helpful information to your target audience by offering e-newsletters, tips, webinars [online seminars], etc.

Online there are endless possibilities. The World Wide Web audience awaits your creativity and uniqueness. The more you do online, the more your online network grows. You get a chance to see what others are doing and learn from them. Even your competitors are a great resource!

Just remember…be patient and enjoy the process. Don't give up too soon. An online business is like a garden, it takes time. But properly planted, watered, weeded, and maintained -- it will soon be time to harvest. Even a modest investment of time and money can yield great rewards!

Paula Bonelli
http://www.MarketYourBizOnline.com
http://www.ExpertWebsiteResults.com

Technorati tags: , , ,