Im Crash Course Report

8/12/2019 Im Crash Course Report

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Internet Marketing Crash Course

30 Days To Internet Marketing Success

From Scratch!

By Martin Bigler

http://IMcrashcoursecom

"ll #ights #eser$e%
http://www.imcrashcourse.com/http://www.imcrashcourse.com/


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www.IMCrashCourse.com

COPYRIGHT 2010 Martin Bigler. All Rights Reserved:

No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express

written, dated, and signed permission from the author(s).

Disclaimer ad!"r #egal $"tices:

hile every attempt has been made to verify the information provided in this publication, neither the!uthor nor the "ublisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of

the sub#ect matter herein.

$his publication is not intended for use as a source of legal or accounting advice. $he "ublisher wants

to stress that the information contained herein may be sub#ect to varying state and%or local laws or

regulations. !ll users are advised to retain competent counsel to determine what state and%or local lawsor regulations may apply to the user&s particular business.

$he "urchaser or 'eader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and

information. !dherence to all applicable laws and regulations, federal, state, and local, governingprofessional licensing, business practices, advertising, and all other aspects of doing business in the

nited tates or any other #urisdiction is the sole responsibility of the "urchaser or 'eader.

$he !uthor and "ublisher assume no responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any

"urchaser or 'eader of these materials.

!ny perceived slights of specific people or organi*ations are unintentional.

M"TI"' C())&CTI() DISC'(S*#&

+ou should assume that the author and publisher have an affiliate relationship and%or another material

connection to the providers of goods and services mentioned in this report and may be compensated

when you purchase from a provider. +ou should always perform due diligence before buying goods or

services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

www.Martinigler.com -
http://www.imcrashcourse.com/http://www.martinbigler.com/http://www.martinbigler.com/http://www.imcrashcourse.com/


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Ta+le o, Contents

Intro%uction page

Chapter (ne:enefits of Mar/eting 0nline page 1

0nline Mar/eting 2efined

Needs for uccessful 0nline Mar/eting

0nline 3oals

Chapter To: 'eaching +our $arget !udience page 4

$argeting 2ifferent $ypes of Customers 3et the ord 0ut

"ersonali*ing +our ebsite

sing anner !ds

5eywords

Chapter Three: Create Content $hat is 6ffective page 7-

Components of 3ood Content

Chapter Four: 3enerating !dvertising $hat is 8ree page -9

6stablish Credibility

ord of Mouth Mar/eting

Chapter Fi$e: 6:mail Mar/eting page -1

"ermission ased 6:mail

uild +our 6:mail ;ist

6:mail Newsletters

;ist


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Chapter Si-: uild a Community 0nline page ==

Chapter even> trategies for Co:randing page =4

!dding "artners to +our ebsite Integrating "artnership "roducts

Chapter &ight: 'ising to the $op of earch 6ngines page 7

earch 6ngine 0ptimi*ation 2efined

0ptimi*ing +our ebsite

ubmitting +our ebsite to earch 6ngines

Chapter )ine: uilding 6:mail ;ists page ?

Importance of lists

Chapter Ten: 8orgetting !bout 60 page 17

uccessful randing

Mar/et 'esearch

Chapter &le$en: ebsite 2evelopment page 14

+our usiness 2esign

Conclusion page @7

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Intro%uction

$he Internet is the perfect place to start a small businesses or to get an

existing offline business online.

*sing the Internet ,or a%$ertising is e-tremely cost.e,,ecti$e an%

sometimes ,reeand the massive amounts of people using everyday

allow you regardless of your business to target the people you want to

reach.

Internet mar/eting allows the small guy to compete with the larger andstronger competition and come out ahead.

$his boo/ will show you what you need to do to turn your online website

and business into a resource that your customers can trust. +ouAll also

learn how to get more customers to visit your website.

$he main goal of this boo/ is to teach you which online mar/eting

techniBues are the most effective for your business. ome of the things

that youAll learn include>


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(7) brand your product, (-) determine who your target audience is, (=)

get the sales, and () establish repeat customers. 0nline mar/eting is

very effective in managing all four of these rules.

Online Marketing Defined

$he definition of online mar/eting is> "lacing your business or product

on the Internet for millions of users to access so that you can turn your

website into a strong tool to maximi*e your sales and business potential.

ut online mar/eting is much more than putting your advertising online.

Mar/eting online includes such areas as communicating with your

customers, promoting your business or product online, and ma/ing sure

that your website content is useful and up to date.

$he great thing about online mar/eting is that you donAt need to have a

huge budget to put together a mar/eting campaign that is effective. $here

are tools that you can use to ma/e your mar/eting techniBues easy and

profitable such website templates, shopping cart templates, and online

mar/eting templates.

Three Things You Need To Be Successful Online Marketing

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$here are some important points to consider before you get into the

strategies and intricacies of online mar/eting>

Sell pro%ucts people ant to +uy online efore you startmar/eting online you need to be sure that you have a product or

service that people want to buy. Customers need to find a value in

what youAre selling. $here are two motivating factors when it

comes to selling online> cost and convenience. !s/ yourself if

customers will find it easier to buy online than finding a local

store. Is it cheaper for them to buy this from you online

Customers alays come ,irst !n important part of online

mar/eting success is to /now that the old saying Dcustomers come

firstD still applies.


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Online Goals

3oal setting is essential to your growth and success online. hether it&s abig goal or a small goal, you should set them and /eep them in mind

regularly whenever you wor/ on your business.

+our main goal might be to sell number of products this month, or to

build your list by 7999 new subscribers this month. $hen to achieve

them, brea/ them down into smaller goals.

Chapter To: #eaching 2our Target "u%ience

! big factor to successful online mar/eting is knowingho your target

au%ience is an% ho to reach them $o determine what types of

customers you are trying to reach you should be as/ing yourself the

following Buestions>

hat age group are you trying to sell to

!re you selling to a specific ethnic group or gender

ill most of your customers be married or single


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most appealing to these customers. $he biggest advantage of mar/eting

on the Internet is that it allows you to become very targeted towards your

desired customers.

Targeting Different Types of Customers

Mar/eting online is the same as mar/eting anywhere else. $here are

certain products, colors, themes, and lingo that will appeal more to some

customers than to others. hen you /now what type of customers youAre

targeting you can meet their needs so that you grab their attention.

8or example, studies show that most female shoppers li/e to save money

and time...and I suspect many men want the similar type of thing too.

0ver ?9J of purchases in the home are influenced in some way by

women. !s well, these same studies show that women li/e to be able to

compare costs Buic/ly and easily without being out under any /ind of

sales pressure.

If youAre trying to target women customers some things that you should

/eep in mind are (7) give them a feeling of safety, (-) ma/e your website

easy to navigate and see the offers, and (=) focus on benefits, and the

value of your offer compared to others.

Get the ord Out

2oing something innovative and creative online, as well as using the

latest technology, will always get attention. 8or example, adding

animation, flash presentation, or a video can create a bu** about the

product or service that youAre selling.

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Gust as e:mail, which contains #o/es and strange pictures, gets forwarded

all around the planet so too can your mar/eting message ma/e the

rounds. Come up with a mar/eting message or novelty and then forwardit to family, friends, and anyone else you /now.

!ny time that you can get someone else to forward your e:mail to others

you get the information out there about your website and the product or

service youAre selling.

0ne /ey to great online mar/eting is remembering that Buality, not

Buantity, counts.

!void buying non targeted e:mail lists and focus instead on building your

own list with people who are actually interested in what youAre selling.

$oday online mar/eting isnAt about how many people you get to your

website or how many people are on your e:mail list. $oday online

mar/eting is all about how people react to your website and what it is

that youAre selling.

!ersonali"ing Your e#site

6ven if youAre not selling a product or service that is for a specific target

audience you need to have a website that is personali*ed. 8or example,

even though !ma*on sells products that appeal to all target audiences

they have still managed to create a personali*ed website that fits every

customer. $his is the goal ofpersonalization technology.

$ry to limit the number of products or services that youAre offering to

your customers. EInformation overloadF is one of the biggest problems

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on the Internet. If you give your customers too many choices theyAll

have a hard time ma/ing a decision. $he /ey to avoiding information

overload is organi*ation as well as ma/ing sure that products and

services are directed towards your customers.

2onAt ma/e the mista/e of thin/ing that online mar/eting stops when you

generate a sale. +our current customers are the ideal way for you to reach

new customers. +ou want to get leads from your customers by using

mar/eting concepts such as Etell a friendF e:mails.

0ne mista/e that many small online businesses ma/e is to focus only on

self:promotion. $he bottom line is that customers donAt care about you.

$hey only care about what it is that youAre selling and what you can do

for them.

hen someone visits your website you have about ten seconds to get

their attention before they move on to the next website. $hat means that

you have ten seconds to tell this person why it is that they need you.

$he home page of your website should tell people why your service or

product is #ust right for them. +our home page should include

information about your company and%or have a personal bio about who

you are.

If youAre not sure about whether your website is reaching the right

people, as/ them. If you provide something of value to people who visit

your website theyAll give you information. $hings of value include

contests, coupons, and free products. Ma/e sure that you let them /now

they can trust you by including a privacy policy on your website that

states you wonAt share any personal information they provide with



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anyone else. tic/ to your policy and never sell the information your

customers provide you with. 0therwise youAll lose and abuse their trust.

0nce you /now the demographics of your customers youAll /now how tospend your mar/eting budget. +ou can focus your online promotions

using targeted mar/eting strategy. 6ven though you may end up with

fewer people visiting your website, targeted online mar/eting is the way

to go.

$sing Banner %ds

0ne mista/e that many online businesses ma/e is using banner ads to

reach the greatest amount of people. +our focus when it comes to banner

ads is to reach the righttype of people for the product or service that

youAre selling. 0ne thing to /eep in mind is that, if you have a limited

budget, you should avoid buying banner ads altogether. If you have a big

budget, banner ads can be great for branding your company.

+ouAll be able to negotiate contracts that are long term with affiliated

websites in your area of business.


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out what content the website administrators will be including on their

web page that may be related to your online business. If the website uses

a /eyword search tool as/ that your banner ads appear when /ey words

that are lin/ed to your product or service are typed into the search engineby visitors to the website.

$ry to place your banner ads on a web page that is as deep into the

website as possible. $his way youAll be reaching people who are truly

loo/ing for information that relates to your business. $his is a great

strategy to use if you want to get the most value for your online budget.

!gain, if your budget for mar/eting is Buite high, youAll want to buy

banner ads on the home pages of websites so that your brand reaches a

lot of people.

Chapter Three: Create Content that is )es 1orthy

$he Internet is designed to be changing and dynamic. "eople who visit

your website want to see content that is new and filled with ideas andbusiness promotions. If people visit your website and donAt see new

content on a freBuent basis theyAll thin/ that your site is stagnant and has

been abandoned without any customer service there for them to rely on.

$he home page of your website is one of the most important aspects of

your online mar/eting strategy. ItAs the content of your home page that

gives your business a brand. $he more useful and professional the

information on your home page is the more credit you bring to your

product or service.

$he Internet is one of the best places for consumers to find out about new

products and services. $his places the net above television, radio,

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maga*ines, and newspapers. hen you use the Internet to promote your

product or service you have the opportunity to reach a multitude of

potential customers anywhere at any time. $he web is one of the most

powerful mediums for reaching and influencing people and the decisionsthey ma/e about business.

Components of Good Content

0ne of the /ey ingredients to success on the Internet iscreating e+site

content that Internet users ant to rea% hen you have content that

is (7) interesting, (-) factual, and (=) well written, you have some of the

main tools that you need to get the desired traffic to your online website.

riting 2ecisions> hen you first start writing content for your website

youAll find yourself facing many decisions before you even sit down at

the /eyboard or pic/ up a pen. !s you begin to develop the content on

your website pages youAll find that youAre often changing many of your

first instinct decisions. $his is all part of the process of writing. ut how

can you most efficiently sort out all you need to thin/ about so that you

develop website content that users want to read

ItAs important that you find out what it is that Internet users are loo/ing

for on the Internet so that you can focus your website content on these

issues. $a/e some time to study at the top hits in the search engines for

products or services that are similar to what youAre selling. 6ven though

these top ran/ed websites are most li/ely using earch 6ngine

0ptimi*ation techniBues you can still read what it is that theyAre using to

draw in the crowd. $a/e some of these concepts and include them in the

flow of your web contentL.but 0N;+ if these concepts enhance what



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youAre writing and are entirely relevant to the products or services that

youAre selling.

5eep in mind that although one website may be at the top of the searchengine ran/ings today, it wonAt ta/e them long to fall bac/ into the ran/s

of Emediocre websitesF. ebsites that rely on 60 techniBues donAt

give people the information that theyAre loo/ing for to /eep them coming

bac/.


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2ynamic


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Changing your


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consistent. +ou need to find a balance between /eeping things on your

home page new and exciting while at the same time /eeping things

familiar and similar.

$he best way for you to achieve this is to /eep most of your home page

the way it is and change only a portion of it. $his allows visitors to your

website to see new content and you wonAt have to worry about your

website disappearing from search engine ran/ings.

enefits of a 8lexible


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uy content> +ou can buy images and photographs that are of

high Buality without spending a lot of money. pending a few

hundred dollars on some great images will go a long way in giving

your website a professional loo/. $here are many websites on theInternet where you can find images and photographs that relate to

your business. ItAs not recommended that you buy written content

for the simple reason that itAs not cost effective. Many of the

services on the Internet that supply written content are geared

towards large online companies that have a big mar/eting budget.

$he goal of content on your website is to ma/e your company and

product appear credible. +ou can accomplish this by having a fewwell placed articles on your web pages.

;et customers create content> +ou can have your customers

generate content for your website. 0ne way to do this is by

creating a section entitled E8reBuently !s/ed OuestionsF. !nother way that you can get updated

content for your website without having to write it yourself is by

posting headlines of related news items to your website. $hen

simply provide a lin/ from the headline to the original article.

Content for small businesses on the Internet doesnAt have to be

original. It should, however, be useful to the people who are

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reading your website. $he content you choose for your website

will show your customers that you care enough about the

information that youAre providing them with to post lin/s to

original articles. $his information can include anything fromhealth issues to new items to information about family. Ma/e sure

that you accurately Buote your sources and never copy articles

without first getting permission.

$he Importance of Communication> 0ne thing that you need to

remember as you ma/e the decisions about what you want to say on your

website is the importance of communication in anything that you write.

$hese days competition for communication on the Internet is difficult.

$he sheer volume of information being routed on the Internet is a huge

communications barrier. 6very day people on the web are bombarded

with websites and businesses lobbying for their attention.

"eople are busy and time is short. o itAs all the more important to /now

how to get your mar/eting message across. $he /ey aspects of good

customer communication include>

the ability to read customers

the ability to understand which communication style your

customers are most li/ely to pay attention to, and

the ability to adapt your website content for your customers.

hen you communicate with your customers through the Internet you

have only one shot at communicating your mar/eting message.

+ou need to /eep in mind that those customers, and potential customers,

reading your mar/eting message donAt have a long time to read what you

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have to sayL.so you better say it fast, accurately, and in words that they

want to hear. ;earn how to /eep it simple and direct.

$here are some basic ideas that you should /eep in mind when youArewriting website content that customers want to read>

Identify and clarify the mar/eting message that you want to get

across to your customers. hen you pinpoint your focus you have

the ability to *oom in and give your customers content that they

can rely on and trust.

3ather information. 2onAt #ust write website content for the sa/eof filling up your web space. 8ind out what customers want to

read and then write for them

6valuate the information that youAre writing about. Ma/e sure that

the information that youAre basing your website content on is

precise and reliable. 2oes the information represent the points of

view about your online business that you want to get across Is

the information fact or opinion Many times a combination of (7)

fact, and (-) customer opinion, go hand in hand for writing web

content that people want to read.

Consider the alternatives and implications of what you write.

Ma/e sure that you draw the appropriate conclusions from what

you write and that your readers will draw the same conclusions

about your web content. hat are the costs, benefits, and

conseBuences of the content that you have on your website $a/e

the time to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of moving

away from earch 6ngine 0ptimi*ation techniBues and instead

focusing on writing what people want to read.



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Chapter Four: 4enerating "%$ertising that is Free

0ne of the best ways to get leads on the Internet is by getting a product

mention or a free lin/ on another website. 6ffective online mar/eting is

all about putting your product or service in front of potential customers at

the exact time that they are loo/ing for it. $his techniBue is /nown as

Epinpoint mar/etingF.

"inpoint mar/eting is much different than advertising on radio or

television, which are /nown as Einterruptive mar/etingF techniBues.

Interruptive mar/eting costs a lot more than pinpoint mar/eting and isless effective for the simple reason that youAre attempting to put your

product out there in front of everybody instead of pinpointing those

potential customers who want to find out more about you and your

business.

"inpoint Mar/eting> "inpoint mar/eting is the process of sending the

right message at the right time so that it produces actual results. 8orexample, if youAre at a ball game and are eating a bag of popcorn. Gust

when you ta/e a handful of popcorn the Coca:Cola logo appears on the

big screen. $he next you thing you /now youAre loo/ing for the first

vendor who can sell you a can of Co/e.


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2ay:part Mar/eting> $he placement and timing of ads on the Internet

has become so important to online mar/eting that some companies, such

as +ahoo, are selling advertisements in Eday:partF. 2ay:part issomething that has always been done in television advertising. 2ay:part

mar/eting wor/s li/e this P specifying at which time of the day certain

ads are viewed so that you can effectively target your customers.

6mbedded Mar/eting Messages> $hese days, more people than ever are

using the Internet to research a product before they buy. !s well, most

Internet users are becoming more serious about the amount of time that

they spend online. tudies show that users are spending less time on the

web and that the time they do spend surfing is focused and deliberate.

Many users boo/mar/ their favorite websites so that they can access

information fast and easily. hen people want a solution to a certain

problem, such as a health issue or ta/ing a vacation, they often loo/

online for the answers. $his is why itAs important for you to put your

product or service right in front of them whenever you can.

&sta#lish Credi#ility

0ne of the main problems with online mar/eting is establishing

credibility with your customers. ince there are so many Internet scams

out there people are wary of whom they do business with and even more

cautious of companies they are unfamiliar with.

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!s a small business you need to gain credibility on the Internet by

ma/ing your logo and company name a familiar item to Internet users.

0ne way that you can achieve this credibility is by setting up a shopping

cart on +ahoo +ouAll not only have access to the technology ofshopping carts youAll also find yourself affiliated with a familiar and

successful online company.

$his gives customers the confidence needed to do business with you.

hen a customer buys something from your online +ahoo tore they

become more familiar with the name of your company and will be more

li/ely to buy from you directly at your website the next time around.

3et your Content to 0ther ebsites> !nother way that you can build

credibility online is to swap content. If you can position an article that

includes a lin/ to your website on another website that is at the top of the

field of your industry you increase your chances of credibility. $his then

increases your sales potential. ut #ust how do you get web editors to

ta/e any notice of your company In chapter = you learned the value of

web content for companies of all si*es. +ou also learned how expensive

it can be to purchase web content. $he bottom line is that more

companies are willing to trade a free mention on your website for a good

article. $his way the content provider gets targeted and free advertising

for their product or service, and the company that is posting the article

(and the lin/) can feature content that is informative and valuable.

+ou can get some great leads by writing articles. hen a potential

customer reads your article you establish yourself as an expert in your

field. hen the customer lin/s over to your website you have a very

good lead that can generate sales.



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"eople who use the Internet want results that are immediate. $hey /now

exactly what they are loo/ing for so your advertising message needs to

be appropriate, concise, and to the point. +ou need to thin/ about what

/ind of people will be accessing the website where you plan to post yourarticle.

wapping !dvertising> ! great way to get your product information out

to people is by using lin/s, banner ads, coupons, and swapping articles.

If youAre in the home renovation business you can trade articles with

other businesses such as painters and electricians. In fact, you can trade

articles with anyone in your chosen industry that isnAt in direct

competition with you. 6xtra content on your website will give you more

credibility while having your articles on other websites will lend your

company a position of authority.

ord of Mouth Marketing

$he second most common way that people find new websites is word of

mouth. earch engines are the number one way. ord of mouth can be

generated from message board postings by virtual strangers or by e:

mailing friends. 6ffective word of mouth is /nown as Eviral mar/etingF

and is one of the biggest success stories on the Internet.

Hiral mar/eting wor/s in much the same way urban legends and funny

#o/es on the Internet wor/ as they are forwarded all around the world.

Hiral mar/eting ta/es advantage of the sociali*ation needs of society. No

matter how small the social networ/ starts out as, effective viral

mar/eting can turn a small un/nown company into one that is /nown

everywhere in the online world.



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ome of the biggest companies on the Internet rely on viral mar/eting to

stay successful. +ou can set up an effective e:mail mar/eting strategy

without a big budget or a lot of technology. !ll you need to do is set up

an e:mail signature that has a mar/eting message within it. $hismar/eting message will be attached to any e:mail that your company

sends. Messages are easily set up through 0utloo/ and other e:mail

programs.

+ou can ta/e the concept of e:mail messages one step further by

attaching your mar/eting message to all mail that is outgoing. $his is

done through a simple process /nown as Email reroutingF. hen you use

this process you can trac/ the results as well as /now for sure that every

outgoing message will loo/ and feel the same no matter whether you or

your employees send the mail.

omething for 8ree> 6veryone wants to get something that is free. hen

you offer something that is free the word will spread very Buic/ly. !nd

free offers will bring traffic to your website. Message boards and chatrooms are

great places for word of mouth and viral mar/eting to flourish. $his is

particularly true for those people who are -1 years of age and younger.

In chatrooms people share ideas and concepts and this can lead to some

great leads for your business.

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6:mail ma/es it easy for people to share ideas and concepts with others

anywhere in the world. If you can attach your mar/eting message to

these infectious e:mails youAll be able to create a bu** and stir about your

product or service. hen potential customers recogni*e your logo orcompany name youAre on your way to gaining trust, credibility, and the

close of a sale.

2omain Names> 0ne last thing to remember when youAre trying to

spread information about your company is the effectiveness of a

memorable domain name. +ou want to pic/ a domain name that is easy

to remember, easy to spell, and that relates to what youAre selling. hen

people easily find your website youAll want to ma/e sure that your home

page content is dynamic so they /eep returning.

Chapter Fi$e: &.mail Marketing

!s the Internet has grown, e:mail mar/eting has become one of the most

efficient and cost effective tools for online mar/eting. 6:mail mar/etingdrastically affects businesses whether they are - or -C (business to

business%business to consumer). Mar/eting through e:mail increases

your brand loyalty and increases your customer service through the eyes

of your customers. hen permission based e:mail mar/eting is done

right it can be more effective than any other type of online mar/eting

strategy. $he thing to /eep in mind is that no one single component of

online mar/eting can stand on its own. 8or instance, an e:mail newsletter

needs to have a great website to bac/ it up as well as interest in your

business to build your e:mail list in the first place.

$he number one activity online is e:mail. $his is why e:mail can be used

as a great online mar/eting tool. Many Internet users say that they would



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rather get mar/eting messages in their e:mail than be bothered by sales

phone calls at home.

!ermission Based &'mail

0ne important /ey to an effective e:mail mar/eting strategy is to only

focus on permission based mail. $his means that customers need to

choose to receive mail from you. $his is /nown as Eopt inF.

+ou should never rent or buy an e:mail list since this is considered to be

spam. No matter what the owner of the e:mail list will tell you, the

ma#ority of the addresses on the list did not opt in to receive e:mail or to

have their personal information sold to you.

hen you send e:mail to people who donAt want it, youAre sending spam.

pam will give your company image a cheap loo/ and ta/e away any

trust that customers have in you. +ou want leads that are Buality and not

Buantity and this means building your own e:mail list. +ouAll find that

the final results will be tremendous to you and your business.

6:mail mar/eting should be considered an extension of the customer

service that you provide. +ou want to be able to communicate with your

customers at every point in the sales process. hen you give your

customers what they as/ for, without abusing any permission, you

establish the base for a relationship that is founded on respect and leads

to long term customer loyalty.

Build your &'mail (ist

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It ta/es time to build an e:mail list but once you do youAll have the names

of people who are genuinely interested in what youAre selling. $he one

thing you need to remember is not to abuse a personAs trust once they

give you their private information and e:mail address. ;et yourcustomers /now that you value their trust and will respect their privacy.

+ou can do this through a privacy policy on your website where you

promise not to sell information to other businesses or vendors.

+ou can go so far as to let your customers /now what youAll be e:mailing

them and how often they can expect it. !lways provide people with the

option to remove themselves from your e:mail list. $his promotes

customer confidence.

If you ta/e part in #oint promotion and%or co:branding with another

online company ma/e sure that you donAt trade e:mail lists. hat you

can do is include information about that company in the newsletter you

send to your customers. !ll e:mail should come only from you.

+ouAll lose your customerAs trust if they thin/ youAve sold their personal

information to another business. !nd this means that they will disregard

any future communication with you and your business.

$o get people to #oin your e:mail list donAt as/ them for much more than

a few bits of information at a time. +ou need to gain their trust before

as/ing for too much information. +ou can start out by as/ing for their

name and e:mail address.

+our future mar/eting promotions will help you fill in other information

such as age and demographics. It will ta/e time to get a clear idea of

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who your best customers are and what they want to get out of your

website and e:mail newsletter.

If customers have trust in your business it wonAt be hard to get an e:maillist together. 3aining trust is as easy as holding a contest, offering

discounts or coupons, regularly changing your website content, or

providing informative newsletters.

hould you have on offline store, a great way to gather e:mail addresses

is by as/ing people to give you their business card if they want to win a

free lunch. 0ther offline methods of gathering e:mail addresses include

networ/ing events and trade shows.

! good rule of thumb is> if someone gives you their business card that

has their e:mail address on it you can safely assume that itAs o/ay to send

them an e:mail at least once. If they donAt respond bac/ you should then

assume that they are not interested. $a/e these non:respondents off your

e:mail list.

3oal 0riented Mar/eting> !fter youAve created your e:mail list itAs time

to develop an e:mail mar/eting plan. 2etermine what your business goal

is and how you plan to achieve this goal> through (7) repeat customers

(-) more leads (=) e:mail mar/eting +ou want to define your goals as

well as you can so that you can /eep trac/ of the process.

&'mail Newsletters

If youAre going to send a newsletter via e:mail you need to provide

incentives for people to want to stay on your e:mail list.

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Ideas for Content> +ou donAt always have to offer discounts or a free

product as incentives to customers. $he content of your newsletter can

also be a good incentive. 3ood newsletter content includes>

Customer submitted success stories.

Information from experts in your industry.

! section for Buestions and answers.

News and%or statistics about your industry.

8eedbac/ from customers.

$ips about your products or services.

+our newsletter shouldnAt include information such as Eabout youF, your

company history, or your company news. $his type of information is

only valuable for investors. $he bottom line is that your customers donAt

really care about what is happening in your business. $hey only want to

/now what you can do for them.

3ood newsletter content is anything that catches the interest of yourcustomers. ! newsletter, #ust li/e your home page, has only a few

seconds to attract the attention of your customer before they decide to

delete it. +our newsletter should immediately let your customer /now

what you can do for them, how youAre going to do it, and why they

should do business with you. Newsletters are a great way to promote

your business but ma/e sure that you ta/e into consideration the content,

the length, and the freBuency of the newsletter.

5eep it hort> +our newsletter should be concise, short, and get to the

point. It should be no more than 7999 words and deal with no more than

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five different products or services at one time. "eople donAt li/e to read

lengthy e:mails.

Newsletters that deal with too many departments are more difficult foryou to update. $his could be a roadbloc/ to you sending out newsletters

on a regular basis while at the same time providing new and fresh

content.

If there is too much information in the first e:mail your customers wonAt

want to clic/ through to your website. !nd a no:clic/ means you have

no way to /eep trac/ of the success or failure of your e:mail mar/eting

strategy.

$he main difference between online mar/eting and traditional mar/eting

is that online methods allow you to trac/ what is happening. If the e:

mails you send out donAt encourage customers to clic/ to your website

you wonAt /now what is wor/ing and what isnAt.

8reBuency and $iming> +ou need to determine when and how often

youAre going to send out e:mail newsletters. +ou donAt want to send e:

mails out too often as this will overwhelm your customers. !t the same

time, you donAt want to wait too long between e:mails or your customers

will start to forget who you are. $iming and consistency will vary

depending on what type of business you have. If youAre not sure when

and how often to send your newsletters, #ust as/. henever someone

#oins your e:mail list as/ them how often they would li/e to receive an e:

mail from you. !nother way to trac/ freBuency and timing is by sending

out e:mails at different times during the wee/. $hen /eep trac/ of which

days have more viewings of your e:mail and your website to determine

what day is the better one for sending out your newsletter.

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(ist )osting Ser*ices

+ou can build, send, and /eep trac/ of your e:mail mar/eting campaignby using an e:mail hosting program. sing an e:mail program is an

important method of effective online mar/eting. !n e:mail hosting

service ta/es away some of the wor/ of manually adding and deleting

addresses from your database.

$hese services also have the ability to test your newsletters before you

send them out. $here are multiple templates for you to choose from

which means that you wonAt have to learn how to use html in order to

send a newsletter that is professional loo/ing. If you decide to use a

template ma/e sure that it matches the loo/ and feel of your company

brand and website. Consistency is the /ey to effective online mar/eting.

6:mail list hosting services allow you to trac/ and manage your e:mail

mar/eting campaign. +ou have the ability to receive reports that have

precise details about which lin/s and graphics your customers have

clic/ed on. $his information lets you change the content of your

newsletter when you /now what it is that your customers most want to

read and see. !s you start to send out more newsletters youAll get a

better feel for what it is that your customers want. $his is why you want

the content of your newsletters to be flexible.

+ou should create newsletter content that is somewhat based on the

profiles of the customers youAre trying to reach. $he ma#ority of e:mail

list services will allow you to set up your subscription pages so that your

customers can indicate what they want to receive from your company.

hen you can identify the audience that youAre writing for you can

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modify your newsletter so that you include the right /inds of promotions

and product information.

If your newsletter contains something of value, such as travelinformation, your customers are more li/ely to forward the e:mail on to

friends and family. hen you establish yourself as an expert in your

industry, by giving your customers the information they want to see, you

build credibility and trust.

!lways /eep in mind that no matter how great your newsletter content is,

there is no guarantee that people will read it. 0ne way that you can ma/e

sure your newsletter isnAt deleted before being read is by have a great

sub#ect line.

Great Subject Lines

Many newsletters and business offers are never read by Internet users for

the simple reason that the e:mail didnAt have an effective sub#ect line. !

sub#ect line may only be a few words but these few words are very

important.

!s more and more e:mails fill our in:boxes itAs more important than ever

to have a sub#ect line that catches our attention. $he sub#ect line is one

of the most important aspects of your e:mail mar/eting campaign

because itAs what creates a first impression for your business. ith #ust a

few words you can encourage someone to read your newsletter or you

can cause them to delete your e:mail without another glance.

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5eep the sub#ect line direct and short. ub#ect lines should never

be more than ten words long. In fact, five words or less is the

perfect length. Most e:mail browsers wonAt let users see more than

five or six words so a longer sub#ect line will be truncated and notseen by the user. se strong and descriptive words rather than

fluffy ad#ectives such as EveryF.

6mphasi*e the benefits to the reader. +ou want to ma/e it as easy

as possible for your customers to /now precisely why they will

benefit from reading your newsletter. $his can be as simple as a

ErewardF for #ust opening the e:mail. ! reward can be information

or a discount coupon. +ou want to use catch phrases such as EsavemoneyF and Esave timeF to get a readerAs immediate attention.

$he /ey is to entice your customers to want to read more and open

the e:mail.

!s/ Buestions. hen you as/ a Buestion in the sub#ect line you

cause a reader to become curious and want to /now more. !s

well, when you as/ a Buestion the e:mail sounds more li/e itAs

coming from a colleague rather than #ust a business and will more

li/ely be opened and read.

"ersonal sub#ect lines. 0ne big mista/e that screams EspamF is

sending your e:mail to Eundisclosed recipientsF. Ma/e sure to

always use your company name or real name as the sender. $ry to

put the recipients name in the sub#ect line if there is room as well

as insert it into the greeting of the e:mail.

$a/e advantage of holidays and current events. If there is an

upcoming holiday, such as Christmas, you can tie it up with your

e:mail sub#ect line. 8or example, Eave time on your Christmas

hoppingF.

!void using the word EfreeF.


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they are a clear indication of spam. !s well, try to avoid using

hype which includes explanation mar/s or all capital letters.

Chapter Si-: Buil% a Community (nline

0ver K=J of Internet users ta/e part in some type of online community.

ut #ust why are online communities such a draw for so many people

0nline communities are much li/e a virtual cafQ, bar, or other

gathering place for people to get together with people with similar

interests.

0nline communities are a great place to learn something new.

0nline communities are where people can be anonymous and

share their problems and fears.

0nline communities allow people to tal/ with people of the same

mind so that they can confirm their beliefs.

0nline communities allow people who are facing a hardship to feel

less lonely.

0nline Community 2efined> !n online community can be accessed

anywhere at any time. ome of the components of an online community

include chatrooms, message boards, newsletters, event calendars, and

anything else that lets an Internet user interact with others who are

online.

hy should you be concerned about online communities for your online

mar/eting strategy Customers who ta/e part in an online community

are a good target for your sales because they have a high affinity for

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loyalty to your product when they are participating in an online

community.

hen you ha$e a strong an% soli% online customer communityyou/now that youAve built a loyal following for your company and the

products or services you sell. +our loyal customers will spread news of

your company through word of mouth and this will further increase your

sales.

Message oards> It will be to your benefit to provide your customers

with a message board on your website. +ou can brea/ your message

board up into categories for your different products or services and

encourage your customers to share their ideas and opinions with others.

$his is the first step towards building an online community.

Customers will answer each others Buestions and this will save you some

money on the cost of customer care. +ou #ust need to ma/e sure that you

moderate the message board on a regular basis so that your customers are

getting accurate information.

Message boards also give you some great feedbac/ about the products or

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that is free. Choose a message board that fits the loo/ and feel of your

website so that youAre maintaining consistency.

Message oard Content> ! successful online community isnAt #ust acommon message board. $he content on your website will play a big

part in the Buality of your online community. $he more professional your

website content is the better the Buality of the message board. !lways

/eep in mind that itAs content that attracts readers and should be your

ma#or concern when it comes to your decision to develop an online

community.

+ouAll find that fresh content ideas will start to flow when you have an

online community. +ouAll /now exactly what your customers are

loo/ing for and #ust how you can provide that for them. !ctive message

boards are a cost efficient way for you to provide great customer service.

Message oard Calendar> Calendars are a vital part of the online

community because they allow people to meet offline. 6ven if your

company doesnAt have any offline events, a calendar will let you post

valuable industry information. 8or example, if your company sells

stationary you could list the dates when youAll be attending trade fairs in

the search for new products for your customers. $his type of information

lets customers /now that your website and business content is ever

changing.

Contests> Contests are a great way to get customers excited about your

company and your website. !s/ customers to share a story about how

your product or service has benefited them. hen the contest is over you

can post these stories, along with the names of the winners, on your

website. $his mar/eting techniBue provides you with customer

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testimonials and is also a good way for you to see what your customers

are interested in.

Maintaining an 0nline Community> It can ta/e a lot of wor/ to maintainyour online community. +ouAll need to invest a certain amount of time

and effort if you want the benefits of an online community to come your

way. Ma/e sure that all of your staff is involved in the maintenance of

the community and that they /now the importance of responding

immediately to posts from your customers. hen your online

community is in its beginning stages you might have to plant some of

your own Buestions, answers, and comments to the message board. 0nce

traffic to your online community builds it will start to flow on its own

and will reBuire less maintenance.

0ther 0nline Communities and !d pace> If you donAt thin/ that you

have the time and manpower to maintain an online community you might

want to consider buying ad space on a community that is already

established and which has a high profile on the Internet. $he online

community should have some connection with the types of products or

services that youAre selling.

Chapter Se$en: Strategies ,or Co.Bran%ing

0nline co:branding can be a little complicated. If an Internet user clic/s

on a lin/ on your website and is ta/en to a web page that has a different

brand or company it can get a bit confusing. $hey will wonder why they

have been directed to an entirely different web page with unrelated

content. hen it comes to co:branding you need to choose partnerships

that have something in common with the product or service that youAre

selling.

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Co:branding can be very cost effective, particularly for small online

businesses.

Goint promotions

Halue endorsements

Goint ventures

!lliances

Co:branding wor/s best when both you and your partner company each

provide a related service or product to the same types of customers.

"owerful Co:branding> tudies show that most online users li/e the idea

of co:branding because it helps them to ma/e decisions about the

hundreds of brand name products that they come into contact with on the

Internet. hen top:Buality brands #oin together in a partnership it

strengthens their customerAs approval. If you have a lesser /now brand it

will be to your benefit to partner up with a more well /nown brand so



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that your overall image is improved and so that you get more exposure on

the Internet. !nd if a popular brand partners up with a lesser /nown

brand it wonAt harm the popular brand. +our best bet is to partner up

with a company that is eBual to you.

! partnership needs to ma/e sense and customers need to understand the

connection.

3uidelines for Co:branding> If you have the right partner you can share

the costs of mar/eting as well as strengthen your company brand. +ouAll

also have access to a larger customer base. 8ollowing are some

important co:branding guidelines>

hat does your co:brand partnership say to your customers ill

it ma/e your customers feel better about themselves

hat do you and your partner have in common !re both of your

products innovative !re they dependable +ou want to ma/e

sure that your image ma/es sense for your current customer base.

+ou donAt want to lose your current customer base but instead you

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ill your customers easily be able to see the connection and value

of your partnership

2oes the co:branding partnership bring you into contact with new

customers

$he above guidelines need to be answered before you #oin in a co:

branding partnership. Goint promotions ta/e a great deal of time and

thought to be implemented correctly. take your message5

content5 an% promotions to your e-isting customersrather than

focusing too much energy on the effort of trying to bring new customers

to your website.

+ntegrating !artnership !roducts

hen it comes to co:branding partnerships you need to ta/e the time to

include the benefits of both brands into the overall design of your

mar/eting promotions. $his way your customers will understand the

connection between both products or services.

imply putting your company logo, or a lin/ to your website, on another

companyAs website will save you time and money but at the same time

may cause you to lose some potential customers. Co:branding that is

successful never leaves your customers wondering exactly what website

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"artnerships should improve a customerAs shopping experience by

helping them to ma/e buying decisions. +ouAll want to exchange content

with your partner so that you both expand your expertise in the industry.


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earch engine optimi*ation, or 60, is the techniBue of placing your

website so that its ran/ing increases in search engine databases. +ou

want your website to have a high ran/ing and be as relevant as possible

to a userAs search.

uccessful 60 websites use articles and /eywords that are based on

those words that Internet users type into search engines when they are

loo/ing for a particular product or service. !s youAre building your

website you want to ensure effective /eyword placement in all of the

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$he 'ight 5eywords> Internet users will type /eyword phrases into the

search engine when they want to find a certain product or service. Most

users will type about two or three words and then do a search for relevant

websites. efore you spend a lot of time optimi*ing your website youshould use a software program to help you determine which /eyword

phrases get the greatest search volume. $his will allow you to focus your

efforts on optimi*ing your website for the right /eywords.

$ext on your


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ome of the features that you should be focused on include (7) how they

promote websites, (-) what they offer in regards to advertising, and (=) if

they have any other resources available. $here are analy*ers available on

the Internet that will help you compare search engines. +our onlinemar/eting budget should include money and time so that you can find the

right search engine for your business.

$here are a few important things that you should focus on when it comes

to submitting your website to the right search engine. $his includes>

$he search engine generator should provide you with automaticupdates.

$he registration process should allow you to include the purpose of

your business and website.

2o a Buic/ study to find out where other businesses in your

industry are submitting their website.

+our main goal should be to submit your website to as many top search

engines as you can so that you get the highest ran/ings. $his will allow

your customers and potential customers to find you fast and easily.

earch engine spiders> ! search engine spider is a program that

methodically travels the Internet loo/ing for all the web pages that have

been recently visited and processing this information in a search engine

so that pages are indexed and downloaded faster by the user.

hen you overuse /eyword and /ey phrases you ris/ this being noticed

by search engine spiders and having them bypass your web pages for

inclusion into the search engine. 2o you want to ris/ being left out of

search engines by being guilty of /eyword abuse

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sing a high /eyword density may seem li/e a good idea when you first

start developing web content for your website but the ha*ards far

outweigh the ris/s.

!nother mista/e that many websites ma/e is choosing their /eywords

and then not putting these /eywords into the any of the relevant content

on the web pages. earch engine spiders are programmed to actually

need to see the /eyword used before it can ac/nowledge it and index the

web page. o why waste time coming up with /eywords that donAt really

have anything to do with what your website is all about only to have

search engine spiders overloo/ your website anyway

Creating 8alse eb "ages> 0ne of the most serious mista/es that you

can ma/e when youAre developing the website content for your web

pages is to provide your customers with information that has absolutely

nothing to do with what youAre selling or advertising on your website.

Customers who use the Internet to buy a product or service, or simply to

find out more information about what youAre selling, donAt want to arrive

at your website pages only to find youAre not selling what your offering.

If customers are searching for stationary (and you include the /eyword

EstationaryF over and over in your website content to push you up into

the high ran/ings of the search engines) they expect to able to read

accurate and dependable information on your web pages about this

stationary. If youAre not selling or advertising stationary you should

avoid using this /eyword to pull traffic to your website. Customers who

have been tric/ed will Buic/ly leave your website to find the information

that they are loo/ing for elsewhere.



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$he bottom line is that /eyword driven websites donAt always wor/.

$hese websites may get high traffic, and search engine ran/ing that they

want, however customers wonAt linger to find out what they are really

selling. $his means a missed opportunity to develop a successfulrelationship with customers.

3oals for uccessful ebsites> ! Buic/ mention about what your goals

should be when you create web pages that are rich with information that

customers want to find on the Internet> 0ne of your main tas/s when you

have an online business is building up your customer database. +ou

want to have as many customers and potential customers on your list as

you can so that your online mar/eting strategy reaches a wide range of

consumers.

0nce youAve built up a customer database youAll want to ma/e sure that

you start to gather repeat customers. 'epeat sales are the bac/bone of a

successful business and for increased sales. 0ne of the ways that you can

achieve repeat sales is by generating great communication with your

customers. +ou can accomplish this good communication by using the

following>

!ffiliate programs

Coupons for repeat customers

Contests

Newsletters that provide useful information about what youAre

selling

anner ads

2iscussion groups and forums

'elationships with associates

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Chatrooms

!s mentioned previously youAll already have a lot of customer

information that you can use. $his includes data that youAve collectedfrom previous sales, communication with your customers, and e:mail

opt:in lists. +ouAll also want to collect the information listed here. ut

#ust how do you go about gathering that data $here are several different

techniBues that you can use to get the data that you need to build

successful customer databases.

$he most important thing to remember is that you always be honest whenyouAre getting information from your customers. If you use deceptive

means to get the data you ris/ losing the trust of your customer. If being

honest and above board means that you lose some of those opportunities

to capture customer information then reali*e that the pay off will be the

trust and respect you earn from these customers, and potential customers,

when they reali*e that youAre doing what you said you would do> as/ing

them to voluntarily to provide you with certain types of information.

$he following methods of collecting customer data will help you /eep

trac/ of sales and profit. $his customer data can be found in the

following places>

customer order forms

warranty card information

servicing information

records of returned products

Buestionnaires filled out at time of purchase

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$he above information is very helpful but youAll need a bit more to build

up a successful database that includes wide:ranging customer

information. $his is where some of the newer techniBues of data

capturing enter the picture. $he Internet has provided you with somegreat opportunities to use technology tools to your advantage. !gain,

/eep in mind that technology is a utensil that you can use and not an end

to a means.

!ll this technology means that you can use some very appealing and

winning methods for having your customers leave you the information

that you need.

$here are many ways that you can correspond with your customers once

youAve got their interest>

wee/ly newsletters

automated e:mails, targeting one time customers, referrals, and

repeat

customers

discount or free product offers to customers

e:mail postcards

follow up phone calls

Corresponding with your customers is much simpler after youAve profiled

them and /now what they want to see and hear. 2atabase mar/eting

means that you learn as much as you can about your customers and

potential customers before sending them any type of messages. tudies

show that random messages sent to all your customers often fails since

youAll be spending a great deal of time and money to reach only a small



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portion of those customers that feel you have something to say to them

directly.

Chapter )ine: Buil%ing &.mail 'ists

! successful online business reBuires a trusting relationship with your

customers. hen your customers /now that your online business is

reliable and honest theyAre more li/ely to buy products or services from

you, rather than from your competition. ut itAs up to you to let your

customers /now that youAre a better choice than your competitor. 0ne

way that you can get those important sales is by building up e:mail listsso that you can communicate on a regular basis with your customers.

Never miss an opportunity at communicating with your customers. ItAs

vital to your online company that you come into contact with as many

customers and potential customers as possible so that you increase your

contacts and eventually increase your sales.

$here is so much competition on the Internet and this is why itAs

important that you stand out for your customers. hen your customers

/now that they can rely on you for dependable service, consistent

communication, and Buality products or services, they will continue to

buy from you time and time again. +our repeat customers will become

the mainstay of your business since itAs these repeat customers that refer

you to their friends and family, thus bringing you more potential

customers.

0pt:in ;ists> !n opt:in list is list of people who have specifically as/ed

to receive more information from your business in the form of e:mail,

newsletters, or other types of communication. $hese people will



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voluntarily give you their e:mail address to you so that you can

communicate with them in the future. Ma/e sure that you build your list

of opt:in e:mail addresses so that you can increase the number of

customers that you come into contact with.

0nline mar/eting studies show that opt:in e:mailing lists are more

successful than other mar/eting techniBues when it comes to sales.

hen a potential customers reBuests more information from your

business you /now that they already have an interest in the product or

service that youAre selling.

o how do you develop your opt:in e:mailing list 0ne way that you can

start building your e:mail list is by having a place on your website where

users can leave their e:mail address.

hen you have someoneAs e:mail address itAs up to you to send them an

e:mail that is about the products or services that youAre selling. ome of

the e:mail that you might want to send to your e:mail customers include>

Newsletters with information about the product or service youAre

selling, such as information about new products. Newsletters have

already been discussed in chapter 1.

6:*ines that have detailed information about what your company

sells.

2iscount offers that your send out to only those people on your

opt:in list.

$he first e:mail that you send out to people on your opt:in list should let

them /now that they as/ed to be included on your e:mail list so that they

donAt thin/ that they are being spammed. !s mentioned before, always

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give people the option to ta/e themselves off your e:mail list at any time.

$his way they feel that they are in control of all communication with

you.

+mportance of Building (ists

0ne of the most important rules of online mar/eting is the need to have a

list of opt:in e:mail addresses. $he larger your e:mal list the more

successful your online business will be. $he bottom line is, if you want

to have a successful online business you need to have an opt:in e:mail

list.

Many online businesses overloo/ the other benefits of an opt:in list

besides the bottom line of profit. &ach time someone +uys something

,rom you5 you nee% to make the e,,ort o, o+taining their e.mail

a%%ress. If you donAt get your customerAs contact information you lose

all chance of future communication with them. !nd this may prevent

them from buying from you in the future.

0nline mar/eting studies show that successful online businesses thin/ of

their opt:in e:mailing list as their most valuable mar/eting strategy.

Most online businesses /eep a bac/ up of their e:mail list so that there is

no chance of losing it. ithout this e:mail opt:in list your business

would lose valuable customer communication which is the bac/bone of

their online success.

$he more extensive your e:mail opt:in list is the more advertising youAll

generate for your online business. +ouAll have sales opportunities from

your e:mail opt:in list that you wouldnAt be able to obtain in any other

way. hen you regularly stay in touch with your customers you ensure

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that at least some of them will return to your website for a first purchase

or a repeat purchase. 6:mail opt:in lists let you communicate with your

customers with little or no effort on your part.

Ma/e sure that your online website has opt:in options on every web page.

$his way people who read your website have every opportunity to give

you their e:mail address for future contact with your company.

Chapter Ten: S&( search engine optimi6ation

8ar too many Internet websites rely on getting traffic and business fromthe search engines li/e 3oogle. $his type of mar/eting is /nown as

Eearch 6ngine 0ptimi*ation (60)F or Dearch 6ngine Mar/etingD

(6M)F.

Successful Branding

uccessful branding is all about one thing> ac/nowledgment from yourcustomers. hen your customers can recogni*e your product or service,

and detach you from your competition, youAve already ta/en the first step

towards grabbing their notice. randing uses several methods to ensure

that your name is out there at the top and that your customers can pic/

you out from the crowd. randing has one goal> to gain the confidence

of your customers so that they stand by you.

+ou want to develop branding for your online business that sends a clear

meaning in one straightforward pac/age. !nd you want that brand

identification to be an expression of your business and personal style.

$here are several methods that you can include into your branding

strategy to gain recognition for your company.



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$here are several different techniBues of branding that youAll want to

consider when youAre developing website pages so that they are readable

and easily understandable by all your web visitors>

Hisual communication. Create a company logo which is displayed

on your pac/aging and the visual communication you use with

your customers. $his includes brochures, business cards,

catalogues, stationary letterheads, and other mar/eting media.

Creative pac/aging. 2evelop pac/aging for your products that is

specific and outstanding to customers. beneficial ad campaigns. $a/e advantage of all media exposure by

positively and importantly boosting your public profile.

$he approach for successful branding is to /eep it simple so that probable

customers arenAt put off by the audacity of your logo. $he strategy for

successful branding includes>

2evelop a strong mission statement. 5now exactly where your

company is going and how you want to get there.

2efine company goals. e clear on what your business goals are.

randing is for your customers. randing is all about your

customers and not about what you sell.

2ependable mar/eting tactics. Customers want reliability and

simplicity when they identify your product or service.

randing is all about identification for your company and not #ust the

products or services that you sell.



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$he end result of successful branding is being able to sell your products

or services along with positive recognition from your customers. ItAs this

positive recognition and obligation to your business that develops the

strong relationship that you have with your customers and creates profits.

$here are many companies both on and off the Internet that use branding

successfully so that you can easily recogni*e them and so that they are a

bigger name than their competition. $hese names have become trusted

among consumers throughout the world. ith so much business action

that is now found on the Internet more online businesses are using

branding to have their customers find them and remember them. hen it

comes to your own online business you need to learn how to use

branding in such a way that your service or product stands out among the

many Internet websites that are all vying for attention and customers.

randing is a mixture of inspiration and the type of connection that

youAre going to have with your customers. $he resourceful part of

branding is all about the logo (or other branding that you choose to use)

and the way that you mar/et on the Internet, and off the Internet, using

this logo. $he affiliation part of branding is all about the way you ma/e

your customer feel when they arrive at your website. +ou want your

customers to feel that they can trust you, and your product or service, so

that they generate a sale for your business. $he bottom line is that

branding offline and online is all about>


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$he reliability and trust that you earn with your customers using a

mixture of branding and successful Internet mar/eting

2eveloping your own branding for your business is a /ey step when itcomes to the success of your company. $his means that you need to

spend value time coming up with the right branding for your products

and services.

Market ,esearch

0ne of the most unbeaten ways that you can find out what customers

want to buy, and find out more information about, is to do mar/et

studies. hen you watch and listen to what it is that customers are

interested in, you raise your chances of getting their attention and giving

them the information that they are searching for.

$a/e some time to carefully chec/ the products and the services that

youAre offering on your website or through your website. +ou should be

as/ing yourself include (7) what are the rewards and disadvantages to

your business of selling or advertising online, (-) will you ta/e payment

online, (=) what details will you have to consider about shipping your

product to customers, and () are you willing to constantly update and

/eep up your website.

hen you have an obvious business idea in mind, and /now exactly what

it is that youAre selling, youAll want to find out what other businesses out



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there offer the same product or service. +ou might want to tal/ to

potential customers to see how they react to your product.

8ind other websites that are related to your business and ta/e some timechec/ing them out. ;oo/ at how they endorse and mar/et similar

products or services as well as how each website is laid out and

navigated.

If a similar website uses a shopping cart for online purchases chec/ it

out. ee how smoothly the process wor/s and what can be done to per/

up the process. 2onAt #ust loo/ at e:commerce sites that are within your

own country since customers wonAt limit their shopping to those

countries where they live. ;oo/ at the way other countries handle e:

commerce websites so that you have a broad spectrum of websites to

compare yours with.

ho are your probable customers

hat other businesses sell the same products or services

ho is going to be your ob#ective mar/et and how are you going

to reach them


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hat !re Customers uying> $here are many ways that you can find out

what customers are buying both from online businesses and from bric/

and mortar businesses. 0nce you find out what customers are buying

you can concentrate your website content and articles on what yourmainstream customers are loo/ing for. ome of the ways that you can

find out what people are buying include>

Chec/ out the malls. 3o to a shopping mall and sit for awhile.

Ma/e note of the shopping behaviours of those people who are

around you.

6stablish what stores have all the action. atch to see whichstores have the most consumer traffic. $a/e a loo/ inside to see

what is being sold, how it is being sold, how much it is selling for,

and how the product is being mar/eted.

$a/e a loo/ at advertising and mar/eting. !lthough you may not

be selling the same items as those stores in the mall you should

still a loo/ at what ma/es these stores stand out among the rest.


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for your achievements. $he development phase consists of several

phases that include>

8inal review of website design.

randing

2evelopment of specific business divisions, such as e:commerce

and website.

$esting

$a/ing your website live

$here are specific partitions that need to be developed before your webexistence and business strategy is ready to go live on the Internet. 0nce

these partitions have been developed your company is ready to reach

your customers and secure your position among your competition.

"artitions that need to be developed reBuire uniBue techniBues.

ebsite development> 2evelop a web presence that is based on your

business branding and design. $he combination of all three elements willreinforce your online business strength> branding, design, and website

development.

6:commerce development> ! constructive and easy e:commerce

experience is significant for capturing the confidence and self:assurance

of your customers. $his includes all aspects of e:commerce> product

database, product display, security, and shopping cart.

Mar/eting strategy> $he advancement phase is the prelude to your

mar/eting strategy. Mar/eting reBuires a strong and solid development

phase from which to have a triumphant launch.

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$he development phase of your business strategy should be as

meticulous as possible before you go live with your website. $he more

safe and sound the multiple divisions of your company existence are the

more success youAll maintain.

Your Business Design

2eveloping a design for your business that augments your image and

reinforces your web presence is critical to the success of your business.

+our aim is to create a design for your company that you can use across

the board> advertising, branding, e:commerce, and web distinction.

$he final result of the design procedure is the level transition between all

facets of your company exposure to your customers. +ou want a design

that is outstanding and recogni*able, and that suggests confidence and

reliance fro

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