Online marketing

Online Marketing Success – Article Writing for Profit

admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 03:39:14 +0000

For those seeking online marketing success, writing articles can be an excellent source of online earnings. The beauty of article writing is that there are so many ways articles can lead to profit. It really comes down to deciding how you wish to use your skills.

One of the most effective strategies for achieving online marketing success is to use articles to create traffic. If you have a website of a product that you want to have seen, write articles about that topic. As articles are written, submit them to article directories. Soon there will be a steady flow of traffic to your site.

As you submit more and more articles on a specific topic you will soon find you have enough material to consolidate and bring together as a book. With a little editing and some added thoughts that book becomes still another product for you to add to your sales arsenal. Whether you use it as a giveaway product that is exchanged for sign-ups on your list, or you sell it, you have a second generation of use for your work and you’ve made still one more step forward toward online marketing success.

Another in-demand use for articles is selling as packages for use by others. New, original work is always in demand as content. It can be packaged with private label or resell rights to create even more value. The packages can be placed for sale on your site or with other sites that offer writers a sales opportunity. These packages sell quickly and provide another resource stream for you in your quest for online marketing success.

Online marketing success can also be achieved as a ghost writer. There is demand for writers who are willing to ghost write articles for others. As a ghost writer you complete articles that are defined by the ultimate owner. That owner purchases the articles and then sells them under their name. With content being in such high demand, this is another potentially very lucrative option for the article writer.

If you are an article writer, consider these options as a means of achieving your online marketing success.

To your online marketing success!

By: Bob Hamilton

A Great Flyer for Marketing Online and Off

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:23:49 +0000

Flyers are a good standby tool for marketing both online and off. And there’s no need to be a genius to create a great one, either. Here are some basic guidelines to design your own flyers.

1. MICROSOFT WORD – Begin with a basic software program like Microsoft Word or Publisher. Open up the program, then look under “File” then “New” to see if there are already existing flyer wizards for documents or templates. If so, start there and adjust one to suit your needs.

2. COLOR – First take a look at your project budget. Is there room for full-color printing of hard copies to distribute? If not, don’t worry. Regular black ink on colored paper produces nice looking, professional flyers. Coordinate the paper color with a theme for the month, like green paper for St. Patrick’s Day or red or blue for the 4th of July.

3. TEXT / FONT – Don’t have too many different fonts, text sizes and styles in one document. Just choose a couple of complimentary fonts and sizes. For ideas on which to use, start a collection of flyers that are stuck on your door, around your mailbox and placed on your car’s windshield. Search your favorite industry web sites for ideas, too, by looking at their online documents for downloading. Print them out and check to see what you link and don’t like about them.

4. PULL TABS – Add pull tabs to the bottom, so that if the flyer is placed on a bulletin board, passersby can pull off a tab and take the info home with them. Check the Help menu for directions. Basically you add a wide text box along the bottom portion of the flyer. Then you insert one row of columns. Click on the first column and write what you want to say – not much fits here so take care! Maybe use your URL or website address and phone number. The text will run horizontally like normal, reading from left to right. So what you do is highlight it and click on “Format” from the top menu, then “Text Direction” do make it run vertical and fit in your tabs. Do the same for each tab.

When you’re finished, make print flyers for local distribution. And turn the document into an Adobe .pdf file to distribute online. Upload it and include links to it in your emails and forum posts. Attach the pdf to emails when you know recipients accept attachments and can take a look, too. Reach out online and off with great looking flyers and grow your business one step further!

By: Scott Morris

3 Online Marketing Ideas That Work

admin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:47:13 +0000

Does your head hurt from trying to come up with online marketing ideas? Mine used to quite often. I want to save you some of the headache I went through when developing my place in the internet marketing business.

Here are 3 Online Marketing Ideas that you can use that really work.

Online Interviews

Spend some time developing a relationship with online publishers of ezines, blogs, newsletters, and other online publications. After you have tasted a bit of success in the internet marketing business you might approach these publishers and offer to give an interview.

Join a Network

Social networking is one the next big thing in online marketing and one of the hottest online marketing ideas. You too can take advantage of this trend. Take the time to read about each of these networks to become familiar with their policies before you sign up. Find a network that you like and will allow you to set up your profile and interact with other people that share your professional interests. Examples of social networks are myspace.com, friendster.com, tribe.net and so on.

Study other Successful Marketers

Pick a handful of successful marketers that you admire and who are in the same general niche as you. Go to their website and subscribe to their list. Once you have done this you will be able to analyze their marketing techniques and learn from them. They did not get to be successful by doing the wrong things. This is one of the greatest online marketing ideas. It will allow you to learn from successful people without paying for coaching.

There are a number of online marketing ideas that might work for you but I know that these three work from experience. Use them and you might save a few aspirin.

By: Gary Baker

Global Online Marketing Profile – China

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:44:43 +0000

Market Opportunity

The Chinese renminibi, or yuan, is increasingly growing in strength against the weakening US dollar, creating increased demand for US goods. With the world’s largest population of 1.3 billion and the third largest economy (behind the United States and the European Union), China is one of the most lucrative and promising markets in the world with the third-largest purchasing power of $6.991 trillion. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2005, the per capita disposable income in China is about $1525 in urban households and $473 in rural households. Although the Chinese amount of disposable income is lower than the US’s $28,000 real disposable income per capita, this amount is steadily increasing; in 2005, the People’s Daily Online reported that the amount of per capita disposable income increased by 12.9%, or 11%, if price factors are deducted. Also, with growing population in the middle-class group, the Chinese consumption rate is expected to increase from 58 percent in 2002 to 65 percent by 2010 and to 71 percent by 2020, very close to the rate in developed countries, said Chen Xingdong, chief China economist with BNP Paribas Peregrine in Beijing, adding that China has a potential enormous consumer market.

China’s middle class is constantly growing. According to the People’s Daily Online, a French investment bank’s definition on the Chinese mid-class group covers the well-educated professionals and white-collar employees (brain workers) with per capital annual income of 25,000-30,000 yuan (about $3,600-$4,300), household annual income of 75,000-100,000 yuan (or around $11,000-$14,500) and participants in the decision-making and management of companies. In June 2004, this group includes around 13.5 percent of the total Chinese population (about 175,500,000 people). In 2002, 50 million Chinese families were qualified for the standard, with per household having annual income of 75,000 yuan (around $11,000) and owning 310,000 yuan (around $45,000) of assets on average. By 2010, the figures will double, with up to 100 million families qualified for the standard, per household having annual income of 150,000 yuan (around $22,000) and owning assets of 620,000 yuan (around $90,000), according to the BNP Paribas Peregrine.

Figure 1: Graph of the US Dollar to Chinese Renmibi (or Yuan) Exchange Rate

Best Industry Segments

Based on the details released by the USA government and Sinomania! Research, the best export opportunities for USA businesses in non-agricultural products are in (1) information technology, (2) telecommunications equipment, (3) computer software, (4) oil and gas, (5) medical equipment, (6) pharmaceuticals, (7) pollution control equipment, (8) airport and ground support equipment, (9) building and decoration materials, (10) auto parts, and (11) agricultural chemicals. With the fall of the dollar and the steady and unfaltering rise of the Chinese economy, the Chinese consumers and businesses are inevitably gaining more buying power in the world.

Regulatory and Tariff Landscape

In March 2008, the average overall tariff rate is at 9.4% and 7.4% for USA priority products. In 2002, China began cutting tariffs to meet its obligations to the World Trade Organization. Then, in 2005, most products saw their final tariff cuts in 2005. Since then, few products have had their rates cut. Furthermore, in its 2007 annual report to Congress, the US Trade Representative said that China’s reduced tariffs contributed to another significant increase in overall US exports, which rose about 17% from January to September 2007 when compared to the same period in 2006.

Online Marketing Opportunities

Even though, says China Internet Network Information Center, China’s level of online penetration is low (15.9%) when compared to the United States’, Japan’s, and Korea’s percent of penetration (all of which are above 65%), China holds an abundant amount of promise. In fact, in 2007, the number of Internet users in China surpassed the number of Internet users in the United States, which formerly had the largest population of Internet users. This number of Internet users will continue to grow. According to news site of the year Timeonline.com, experts say that the number will swell rapidly in the next few years as hundreds of millions of Chinese still toiling as low-paid farmers or labourers experience a rise in their incomes that will enable them to go online. BDA China, a Beijing technology company, estimates that China’s web population will grow by about 18 per cent a year, putting the total at 490 million by 2012 – more than the population of the United States.

Online Language Preferences

Even though more than 300 million Chinese people, or nearly a quarter of the country’s population, have studied English according to Xinhua, most (mainland) Chinese people prefer to read content in their simplified Chinese characters. This is the case for the most part, but in the southernmost provinces in China and especially in Hong Kong, the usage of English has a moderate to strong presence. Since nearly a quarter of the country’s population has studied in English, it is recommended that a business has some of its content in Chinese so that the Chinese consumers could click through that Chinese webpage to reach and use the English version of the website.

Search Engine Profile

Unlike most countries in the world, the Google search engine has not dominated this market. The search engine here of predominance is Baidu (baidu.com), which is the local search engine that has the biggest market share in China (about 60%). In second, Google claims 20%, and in third, Yahoo claims 10%.

Summary

With the largest number of online users in the world, an increasing rate of online penetration, an expanding middle class, a continually fast-growing economy, and much room for growth, China provides excellent opportunities for global online marketing. For the above reasons, Global e-Marketer would rank China as a tier 1 country for developing an online market presence.

By: Wyliena Guan

Online Marketing: Math or Myth?

admin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:00:11 +0000

The numbers are supposed to be big in online marketing, but are they significant in the online marketing of music? Clearly, we need someone with ‘Net experience to set a few things straight. Scott Meldrum is a businessperson and musician with a dry wit and a background in bulk mail. Oops, excuse me, direct response advertising. He’s also the man called on by major labels when they want to brand an artist and reach millions of fans via the Internet.

Beginning with Papa Roach in 1998 and continuing with such platinum-selling artists as Avril Lavigne, Dido and Jennifer Lopez, Meldrum’s Long Beach-based firm, Hype Council, is one of the prime marketing weapons utilized by the world’s largest entertainment companies.

Taking center stage for a Monday evening presentation by NARIP (National Association of Record Industry Professionals) at the Beverly Garland Hotel in Los Angeles, Meldrum began with some facts about the Internet. Does that sound a bit dull? It wasn’t. His presentation quickly revealed things about the ‘Net that should be known by every marketer (that’s you, if you or your artists are selling music online).

THE GLOBAL AUDIENCE FOR MUSIC.

Most Internet users (nearly a majority of them) are between the ages of 30 and 49, far older than many in the audience thought. And for those of us who believed that the USA had the highest percentage of Internet users, it was a surprise to learn that we’re only sixth. (Of course, in raw numbers of users, the USA has by far the most people.)

Fully 40% of the USA’s 177 million ‘Net users go online for music (more in some other nations). Look at it another way: if you put your music on the Internet, you have a potential audience of some 70 million. And with total Internet users currently at 404 million, that translates into a worldwide potential audience of 161 million people.

The problem is: how to reach them. They are wildly segmented in terms of music genre; they only want to be contacted under certain sets of circumstances; and they need to have a safe, secure, and easy way to make purchases.

Fortunately, “The Internet is still a new medium,” Meldrum asserts, “and there are tremendous opportunities for people in the business of selling music.”

Some of those opportunities are being wasted, however, through poor Web site design. Meldrum revealed the biggest errors made in creating or maintaining a Web site. . .

TOP 5 MISTAKES OF WEBSITES:

1. Mistaking creativity for functionality. “Don’t try to put everything on your front page. Organization is the key. Lead your fans to the most important things.” That’s what menus are for, so don’t hide them. “How many times have you gone to a site that looks interesting, but you have no clue how to navigate it? People don’t have time to waste figuring it out. Make it easy for them.”

2. Burying the offer. “Links to buy the CD should be available at almost every page on your Website. Many Websites challenge, almost dare visitors to find the product, let alone buy it.”

3. Ignoring fans. “Many artist Websites have a registration feature, but it is not prominently displayed. When you are not selling albums at your Website, you need to be collecting email registrations.” This builds a fan base where you can sell an album now and more in the future.

4. Not giving fans what they want. “Make your music accessible. Offer a few full streams of your songs. Make a download available in exchange for an email registration. You will win more fans and sell more CDs giving your music away than you will by not letting your potential fans really listen before they buy.”

5. Failing to design with bandwidth in mind. “Ever been to a Website and forgot why you were there before the page fully loaded? Getting people to your site is hard enough. Losing them because they got tired of waiting for your page to load is a waste of everyone’s time and energy.”

CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS:

Websites are a necessity, but don’t overlook other ways of reaching out to potential fans on the Internet. Banners can be bought or traded. Emails can be sent (be mindful of the CAN-SPAM law; see below for link). Marketing can be done on search engines. You can join or participate in message boards and blogs (web logs). And the latest advancement in music marketing involves social networks such as MySpace.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Meldrum had many specific suggestions for attendees, including:

* use Google for research

* check out MySpace.com

* target your audience

* simplify your Website

* give away some songs

* interact with your audience often

“You can send emails in text or HTML format. With HTML (hyper text markup language), you can include pictures and graphics. They look nice, but we get twice the ‘open rate’ with text emails.”

THE BOTTOM LINE ON WEBSITES:

“To your online fans, you are your Website. If they love it, they will love you, and will be eager to follow your careers. Take all the great things about you, your talent and your message, and translate to HTML. Keep it simple, easy-to-navigate and informative, and you will have a highly-effective marketing channel for your music.”

Sources for more info:

http://www.narip.com

[http://www.hypecouncil.com]

http://www.scottmeldrum.com

[http://www.spamlaws.com/federal/108s877.html]

http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/viral-principles.htm

http://marketingterms.com/dictionary/blog/

http://www.google.com

http://www.myspace.com/thegman

# # #

By: Scott G

Online Niche Marketing – How to Maximise Your Niche Marketing Efforts

admin — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 23:30:32 +0000

If you are online then you are marketing YOU. That is a crucial thing in all aspects of niche marketing – but maybe something people only think that this only truly applies if they are in the “make money online” internet marketing niche. Nothing could be further from the truth! Whatever niche you choose, you need to be seen.

Carving your own spot within a niche is an involved process. You cannot just start a website, write an article or two and deem yourself the new expert of your niche. You will still be invisible online and if you want to be successful in any niche, your target market needs to get to know you!

One excellent way to bring your online business to life is to tap into a niche with a video or several! Videos are still one of the newest and possibly best way to market your business online. They grab the attention and respect of customers, prospects and your peers! And it is only going to get more important with time. Consider even now just how few successful products are brought out these days without any video at all!

One of the reasons why they have such a great impact is because it is visual. Your prospective customers can see and hear you, they feel as if they can look into your eyes and read your body language. All this helps engender trust and allows your prospects to like you. And because selling online is all about building relationships and delivering as much value as you can, if your customers like you, they will buy more from you. And of course your videos will help you create your brand as an expert on multiple levels and helps you gain standing in your niche!

When you use video to tap into a niche market, you have a great chance to show what you know to countless people! If you post it on major video sites and promote it, you could literally be seen by millions. And if your video is packed with useful information and is also entertaining, you have a recipe for a smash hit which will be widely viewed and highly ranked.

The best reason for using video to establish your market presence is to build a relationship with your customers. Most “make money” internet marketers still do not use video, and “niche” marketers even less so. Which all means that if you do, you will be light years ahead of your niche competitors!

So what are you waiting for?

By: S E Owen-Thursfield

Marketing Your Vacation Rental Home Part Two – Online Marketing

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:21:19 +0000

This article, part two of a series, will help vacation rental home owners learn more about marketing a rental property online. It is important to understand that people who are looking for a vacation rental home are generally looking for more than they can get with a brand-name hotel. They typically want space, privacy, laundry facilities and – almost always – a cheaper rate than if they stayed in a hotel.

The one major difference between booking a private vacation rental home and a branded hotel chain is that you know ahead of time what you will be getting when you book with a hotel chain. Plus, if things are not quite right, you always have the manager on hand to sort things out for you. On the other hand, vacation rental homes are almost always privately owned and operated, and in the past you never could be sure just what you would be getting.

The Internet has changed everything about marketing a rental property. Now, prospective renters can visit a website to view pictures and read information about a vacation rental home before making a final decision – which means that online marketing of a rental property should be a major priority.

The Benefits of Marketing a Rental Property Online

By marketing your rental property online, you have the perfect low-cost way of showing that vacation rental home to the world. Online marketing can put you on an even footing with the big hotel chains; in fact, it actually gives you an advantage. While their sites will be practical and informative, you can take time and TLC to make your site warm and welcoming while reassuring prospective renters that your vacation rental home will more than fill their requirements.

Plus, establishing a website for your vacation rental home gives you a global presence. While the vacation rental market in the United States may still be in its infancy, it is the norm in many other countries for families to stay in vacation rental homes rather than hotels. Marketing a rental property on the Internet can help an owner in the U.S. reach families from abroad and draw them to the home.

Putting Your Vacation Rental Home Online

There are several ways in which you can use the Internet for marketing your rental property:

Create your own website List your vacation rental home with a property rental agent or manager List your vacation home on one of the many vacation rental sites

While all three options for marketing a rental property have their place, creating your own Internet site is essential. Having your own site gives you complete control of how your vacation rental home is displayed to potential renters. If someone contacts you wanting to rent your home, do you really want to send them to a site that contains other homes similar to your own? Remember, there are always other owners out there who are also involved in using the Internet for marketing their rental property and who will undercut you just to get the rental. Listing sites can help you reach more people, but in the end you want a renter to see your individual site.

Creating Your Own Site for Your Vacation Rental Home

Your website should consist of the following standard pages, which are all important for optimally marketing your rental property:

Home Page Property Description Photo Gallery Visitor Information Rates Contact Information
The Home Page

The Home page is probably the most important part of your strategy for marketing your rental property, as this is a visitor’s first point of contact with your home. Make sure the design of your home page is simple, clean and uncluttered. Consider adding two pictures instead of just one to make your site stand out from the competition. One picture can be the traditional front-of-the-home shot, while the other image can be of something that sets the rental property apart – a great view, a beautiful sunrise, a scene by the pool, and so on. You can also consider taking a picture of the house lit up at night, which will certainly make the image memorable.

The Text

You will also need to write text that helps you with marketing your rental property. This step does not have to be difficult, but you should take time and give some thought as to what you want to say. You want to sell your home, not just state the facts. The text should help prospective renters imagine kicking back by your pool with a cool drink while watching the kids splash around. Set the scene first, rather than starting with a list of the best things about your vacation rental home. Be descriptive and use your imagination so that you are marketing your rental property in a way that will make the reader want to find out more.

In order to get some ideas of what to focus on in the text, ask yourself the following questions:

What do you your family and friends love about the vacation rental home? What do you enjoy doing when you are there? Is there something you have found that you love but is not generally known about on or near your vacation rental home? What special features does your home offer? What would you want to know if you were going to rent this property?
General Picture Ideas

The use of good quality pictures of your home’s exterior and interior cannot be overstated for successful marketing of a rental property. In a highly competitive area such as Florida, pictures could make the difference between securing a booking or missing out. Sometimes a potential guest will be considering several properties with the same features and at the same cost. In this case, guests will undoubtedly choose the vacation rental home they like the look of. This means that quality pictures are critical for successful marketing of your rental property. Common faults are images that are badly lit, that are taken from strange angles, that feature pool decks and porches devoid of furniture, or that have inappropriate things in view (wet towels, piles of papers, and so on).

Some additional things you may want to consider when marketing your rental property with photos are:

Consider using flowers. A fresh vase of flowers can be welcoming, but don’t go overboard, and don’t be tempted to move one vase of flowers around as you take pictures – it will look silly if the same vase keeps turning up in different rooms. Set the tables. In the formal dining area, open a bottle of wine, fill wine glasses, light candles and use napkins. In the kitchen dining area, set it for dinner with the family, with more casual place settings, a pitcher of lemonade, and so on. Make sure the kitchen of your vacation rental home sparkles. It should be spotless, with a bowl of fruit on the counter. Basically, you will want to make the home looked lived in and like you are just waiting for guests to arrive. Make the bedrooms welcoming by turning down the sheets, fluffing up the pillows, and placing magazines and books on night tables. Photograph the bathroom in the evening. Fill the tub, add lots of bubbles, light candles, have fluffy towels and perhaps a glass of red wine on hand to create an atmosphere. Use a digital camera so that you can take hundreds of pictures of your vacation rental home. Even if you are not a photographer, you are sure to get some good ones that you can use for marketing your rental property.

Marketing a rental property with your own website can be a part of a strategy that uses many other techniques, from print ads to online listings on real estate marketing sites, allowing you to attract more renters to your property. Future articles in this series will explore additional avenues for marketing your vacation rental home and their benefits to you.

By: Fraser Hannah

Online Network Marketing System – Do You Know These 3 Truths?

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:09:04 +0000

Are You Profiting From Your Online Network Marketing System?

Believe it or not, most online network marketers claim to ‘reveal’ certain things that is supposed to help you improve your system. Your online network marketing system for one is not just any system. Want to know something else?

You might have been feeding on outdated stuff which really does not stand the test of time. Especially in the world of Internet marketing technology moves really fast.

However, there is a solution which is the 3 basic truths you need to really embed into your mind if you are to succeed online.

Truth #1: Only 3% Will Ever Make It In This Industry

I’m sorry but its the cold hard truth about an online network marketing system. The reason is that systems can never be truly perfect unless you work at it.

A well oiled system is one that can both generate prospects and convert them into buyers. This means you will need to position yourself as uniquely as possible.

At this point, you wonder how can you join the 3% in this industry? Simple, be yourself and learn all there is to know about how to be a good marketer. Then, implement those strategies until you find one that really works for you.

Truth #2: The REAL Definition Behind Web 2.0

Yes, that’s right. I’ve been in forums and seen most people get this wrong all the time. You could have even read that web 2.0 is the next wave of online network marketing systems.

Web 2.0 really means that your website is a interactive way of bringing people together. Such that it becomes a community that is able to interact in more ways than 1.

As a result your website becomes a recognized ‘authority site’ that will be placed on people’s mind as a great place to be. Making your own online network marketing system web 2.0 compatible is all about building a lively community.

Truth #3: The Money Is In The List

Time and again this has been mentioned and I will say it here again. The money really is in the list. Or shall we say your online network marketing system autoresponder list. Once you’ve captured all those names what do you do?

The trick is to build a good relationship with them. Don’t kiss butt. Just treat them like a friend and only give them good recommendations with great content. Sometimes even I struggle to find good content.

But trust me, your list will appreciate you for your effort. Soon, they’ll see that you’re a genuine person and not out for a quick buck. That is how you turn prospects into buyers.

By: Vern How Chan

Ezine Advertising For Your Online Marketing Business

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:54:56 +0000

Many online marketing business people frequently place a paid ad in an ezine as one of there first forms of advertising. This is a solid method to get targeted traffic to your website.

Primarily, you must come up with a great headline that will allow you to attract readers or they will just skim over your page and miss your ad entirely. Crafting a headline takes time. Write at least ten of them and pick the ones that stands out to you the most. Now it’s time to polish and tweak them. Change a word here and there and test them until you’re ready to spend some money on an ad. If you don’t do this you will be throwing away good money. As with any kind of written advertising in Online marketing, it has to be able to at pull people into your ad.

Then comes writing the body. You must follow the ezine’s editorial guidelines for format and word count, but typically, the remainder of the advertising will only be two or three short sentences. Get the body to pique people’s interest even more by giving them intriguing information about your website. Give them incomplete information, create a mystery that makes them wonder about the rest so that they have a desire to visit your website.

When looking for an ezine to buy advertising in you must do a few things Read or skim the page and see where the ads are placed. If they are placed on the bottom, leave now. People will not generally see ads placed at the bottom. The best position is to be is on the top left-hand corner. Studies have shown that are eyes go there first. The closer to the top the better. The absolute worst spot possible is being the bottom right-hand corner.

Also you may want to get an idea of the audience of the ezine. How many people are on the list to receive it. You also want to make sure it is the right target market for your online marketing business as well as the demographics are where you can do business.

You should read testimonials to learn more about their service and their costumer relations. You want to be sure before investing any hard earned money in advertising that they fit the business you are advertising for. Take your time, it’s a process and with the right choice you can make some good money.

By: Faye B. Roberts

Advantages of Online Marketing For Small Businesses

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:51:14 +0000

How online marketing can help a small business

The 21st century is the technology age; there’s no dispute about it. Along with this new technology, comes new and affordable ways for small businesses to reach a much larger market of which they wouldn’t have been able to reach before this technology was available. As you’ve probably guessed the technology I’m talking about is the internet AKA the web. Many businesses have taken advantage of what it has to offer and made a considerable amount of money from it. But if you’re reading this article the questions your probably asking are, “how can I market my business online?” and “isn’t it too late to start a website?”

Well to answer the second question is quite easy; no it’s not too late to start marketing your small business online. This is because there are still many untapped niches on the internet and you have to bear in mind that the internet is still relatively new. All I would advise is that if you are interested in marketing your business online, start now. The phrase, “it’s never too late to start” doesn’t apply here, so don’t let anything slow you down. The good thing about the internet is that there are little barriers to entry, so almost anyone can take their business online.

Unfortunately the second question will take a bit more explanation to answer. There are several ways to market your business online. A good starting point that I would highly recommend is to start trading on eBay to give you experience of trading online. Then you can start looking into have your own website or online store to sell your products or service. But if you’re not interested in offering your product or service online then this doesn’t apply to you. You can simply go ahead and hire a designer to make your first basic 4-page website with your company information there. The latter can help you get more leads for your business while directly trading online is ecommerce. Ecommerce is good for saving on overheads as you don’t need a store front, you just need a site and somewhere to store your product. This is why taking your small business online can be so attractive. Also there are endless of communication methods online to communicate with your customers. There’s email, instant messengers, video conferencing and VoIP. All of these communication methods are also free which saves on yet more costs.

Having an online business can help your small business grow as you can reach a much larger audience, even worldwide if you want to. But some of the fundamentals of traditional business still apply, such as having to be professional and make sure there is a demand for your product or service. An example of this is when the web was still young, there was dot com boom as it was called. During this time many crazy business plans were made and people were investing in them crazily enough. It was like anything to do with the internet could get an investment from anybody. But the thing was there was hardly ever any return on investment for these people because the business plans were just ludicrous. Also these businesses would have never survived in the real world, so they didn’t survive in the virtual world that real people log on to. The point I am trying to make is that whatever type f online venture you would like to make, just make sure the business plan is viable.

By: T. Oduyoye