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Internet Marketing

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The internet has become the source of information on products and business for users around the world. Mastering even the most basic concepts of internet marketing can increase income for any online or offline business.

Being able to market a product, service or information, globally online, to the demographic of your choice is very convenient and ideal for those on a tight budget.  The use of internet marketing still does not appeal to all businesses or all customers, mostly for security reasons.

However, it can attract a whole new segment of online customers and enhance any business.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is an aspect of internet marketing that allows any business to advertise their product and business by focusing on the search facilities of major search engines (e.g. Google, Yahoo, etc).

Whilst there is a lot more to comprehensive art of internet marketing, SEO is a cost effective strategy for every static web site that hangs out in cyber space with no passing traffic.  And there are millions of them!

Whilst SEO is not simple and requires the services of a skilled technician, it has been far more cost effective for my clients than the offline equivalent of renting offline advertising space on roadside billboards.

I dare say that internet marketing will also spell the end for printed book-form directories.  Even now, my clients are giving me feedback that they are expensive and largely ineffective.  The reason is that every body searches online.  So why not go where the customers are?

Although internet marketing provides global reach in a very cost effective manner, it does come with its own disadvantages.  These are mostly to do with the perception of poor security as the result of the rising incidence of cyber-criminals, mean spirited hackers and the prevalence of PC viruses.

Until next time

Gary

Small business marketing – internet marketing and me!

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Internet marketing enables every small business just like mine and yours to reach a huge audience for a fraction of the cost of marketing in the bricks and mortar world.

The beauty of this medium for small business marketing is that it allows our potential customers to search for, and find our products and services in their own time, day or night.

Our challenge is to get our online messages in front of them in response to their search – whenever and however they choose to search.  However not all the searching is done online.

Customers could be searching through a search engine, checking their emails, opening an envelope, social networking (online or offline), reading a bumper sticker or consulting their favourite fridge-magnets on the freezer door.

Although people like to search online, they also like to know that we the business owners actually exist in the physical world, and that we are honest, decent people.

So there are endless ways to circulate your online presence (URL).  Invariably that journey takes us offline back into the brick and mortar world, where many of us started.  Believe me the good old business card is not likely to be superseded any time soon.

Back online though, there are some incredible tools used in the online marketing process.  But if I look past the bells and whistles, the essence of internet marketing comes down to a few home truths:

  • A marketable site
  • Good content
  • Appropriate keywords
  • Traffic building
  • Sales conversion
  • Quality products and services

I have found that the best marketing tool that I have ever had is me.  I have tried to make my site look professional but at the same time reflect the ‘down-to-earth-but-know-my-stuff’ image I want to project.

More people respond to my videos than to anything I write.  That’s because I am putting myself out there.  People are getting to know this ‘old dog’ business coach with an unusual mix of business and aikido, who just wants to put the decency back in business.

My small business marketing philosophy is this – to build a fan base of people who relate to my messages.  The money will just look after itself.  It doesn’t matter what service you provide or what product you sell, people always want to buy from someone they know and trust.

Because my business is all about communication, inspiration and education, I chose a blog as my internet platform.  It doesn’t just hang there in cyberspace doing nothing like static web sites do.  I use it to broadcast words, pictures and videos.  I use it to promote myself.   Everything else that needs to happen just flows from there!

If there is one internet marketing lesson that I have learned, it is this – anonymity and invisibility will get you nowhere.  People are interested in products but ultimately they buy from real people.

Until next time!

Gary