Marketing For Success: 4 Strategies for Online Businesses

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:

__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.

__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.