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The internet has changed the way companies do business and the way consumers shop. The internet allows entrepreneurs to market their goods and services to people all around the world 24 hours a day. The ease of online transactions means more profits for businesses. Business owners have recognized this benefit to web marketing and have brought their goods and services to the internet hoping to create, or increase, their online presence.

Business owners use the internet for a number of different reasons such as reaching a target audience, promoting a new product, informing customers about new services or discounts, and for selling products. Internet marketing is one of the least expensive and yet most effective ways to reach a large audience. In order to reach that large audience you need more traffic coming to your website and when your site visitors convert to customers, your website can become more profitable.

The point of these services is to introduce a brand or promote products and services all over the internet so that people will become familiar with your company and what you do. Internet marketing services, just as traditional marketing services, come in a wide variety of options. They include social media marketing, email marketing, link building, banner ads pay per click advertising, and search engine marketing, just to name a few. Let’s look at a couple of these services:

Banner advertisements are placed on specific websites that help to target the appropriate audience for your goods and services. When a user clicks the ad it directs them to your site. Email marketing is even more direct sending information directly to the audience’s mailbox. The email newsletters or messages can be customized more specifically to target the recipient so as to grab their attention.

Most users find what they are looking for on the internet by using search engines. A website’s rank on the major search engines plays a critical role in how much traffic a website gets. One of the most effective web marketing services is search engine marketing which helps to target the desired audience by ensuring that the site is found in the top results of search engines when relevant keywords are searched.

Web marketing services allow companies to reach their targeted audience and in turn raise their website profits. A professional internet marketing company can help you create a strategy that will implement the key services that will help your web profits grow.

Generating cash flow is what it is all about. In this article I will share with you how you can position yourself as an expert in your field so only interested and qualified prospects will be asking you to speak with them. You will be able to attract them to your product or program. None of us are looking to develop a business that consistently drains cash from our already strained bank account or discretionary spending account, if there is one today.

Wouldn’t it be superb if interested, free, qualified leads were calling you to get additional information about your program, rather than you making endless cold calls to a list you’ve purchased, only to have them hang up on you, or the number not be any good in the first place.

The question really gets down to what kind of leads you are working with. The old model for internet marketing was to make a list of friends and family, better known as a warm market, and share the product with them. If you have already tried that, then I am sure you have found the warm market suddenly turns cold very quickly. You need to be careful there or you won’t have any friends left.

Don’t think I am discouraging you from presenting the product to this market for retail sales, absolutely not. If the product is as good as you have been told, then by all means you want to share the good health, good fortune or other benefit they should enjoy by purchasing the product. Just don’t depend on this group to immediately become internet marketers like you. They might never have entertained the idea of being in business for themselves, let alone, working from home.

Does the phrase attraction marketing mean anything to you?

Attraction marketing in the simplest terms is the art of providing an offer of training or valuable information that will cause a prospect to be attracted to you and want to learn more about who you are and how a relationship can benefit them.

I suggest you will want to seek an attraction marketing system that will walk a trainee through the step-by-step process of developing their own web site that will attract qualified and interested parties. Make sure you get the opportunity to test drive their training before making a selection. The system you ultimately select should provide an in depth training program that will teach you how to set yourself apart as an expert in the field you are marketing to. The training should be designed to enable you to develop unique offers of value to your prospects, thereby building a list and developing a meaningful relationship with the prospect, well before making a product presentation.

You will want to make sure the training program assures the opportunity to develop a relationship with the individual conducting the training or a coach who can take your calls when you get stuck and walk you through the trouble spots. There are a lot of training programs out there that are very good but many do not provide the direct contact opportunity for the trainee to get a question answered when they get stumped on something and believe me one does.

The best training will be 24 by 7 with regularly scheduled weekly webinars to interact directly in question and answer sessions with the trainer and other individuals who have successfully mastered the program. You will want to make sure you can definitely get answers to solve your own specific individual problem or concern. You don’t want to have to fill out a special e-mail form to be submitted and wait for a response, you want to make sure you can get answers that are live and to the point, keeping you moving forward on your marketing program.

Picture yourself answering 20 to 30 calls a week from qualified interested parties who really want to hear more about your specific program. You can plan your call backs, have your scripts organized and enjoy the pleasure of dealing with people who called you directly. Quite an improvement from the wrong numbers, unanswered or not returned phone calls from your cold call campaign, right:

That is what attraction marketing is all about and anyone can make it work, regardless of the skills they may have when they enter the program if they are just a little bit computer and internet savvy.

If you are one of those who have tried about everything possible in internet/network marketing and still haven’t found the key, I hope you will investigate how attraction marketing can work for you.

Traffic. You either hate or love it. Well that depends on where you are. If you’re on the freeway or highway, then it’s something that you can definitely do without. If you’re on the internet highway, then it’s a different story. All the more so if you have a website. You would definitely want to direct traffic to it. As the saying goes, the more the merrier.

So now the question is how do you direct traffic to your site. The most obvious answer to that is that you need to advertise. You have an option to either pay for the advertisements or you can find a way to advertise for FREE. One of these ways is through article marketing.

What is article marketing? Article marketing is basically writing an article on your topic and then submitting it to an article directory website. Once the article directory website reviews and approves your article, they will publish the copy. You are also given a resource box which contains information about you and your website. It is in this resource box that will provide a link to your website, thus improving your SEO efforts.

Key Points. Some key points you should consider when writing an article:

1. Your article should be original, contain the keywords for your topic and should be useful.

2. You should write about topics that you cover on your website but ideally a unique content is required.

3. Your article should be in the range of 400-500 words.

Are there any disadvantages of Article Marketing? Firstly it’s time consuming. You need to write the article and then submit it to article directories. Secondly you need to come up with a topic to write about. This however, can be overcome by simply writing about what you know best.

How do I overcome these challenges? There are many article submitter services. These however come at a reasonable cost but it saves you a lot of time. The other challenge of writing articles can also be solved by outsourcing the job. You can get someone to write an article for you at a very low price. You can search for these on Google.

So there you have it, article marketing is just one of the many ways that you can get laser targeted and free traffic to your website. There are some challenges but these can be easily overcome with the suggestions given.

Online Marketing, especially email marketing, will increase a Small Business’ bottom line more than by traditional means. Beginning an email marketing campaign is the first step towards freeing up company or organizational resources that may be under utilized by other types of marketing such as: direct mail campaigns, print, radio and television advertising. Even if resources are not being dedicated to these types of marketing, small and medium-sized business owners and entrepreneurs will want to embark upon an email campaign – because it’s so cost-effective and the Return on Investment is high if it is done properly.

Traditional Marketing Versus Email Marketing
Let’s face it: marketing of any type can be expensive. ROI is not always guaranteed and it can be hard to measure. For example, the traditional return on investment from direct mail and print advertising is 1-3%. Essentially, if a company invests $100,000 per year in one of these methods, the sales department can expect to bring in $1,000-3,000 per year. This is an enormous cost for marketing that is quickly becoming outmoded and outdated. Is it worth it?

The answer depends upon how much money company stakeholders want to spend in marketing. Today, many companies and organizations are interested in conserving resources and getting more mileage from their marketing investments.

By comparison, an investment in email marketing will yield far better results. The Direct Marketing Association just released an economic impact study on the ROI of email marketing, “Commercial email returned a whopping $43.62 for every dollar spent on it in 2009.” Statistically, Email marketing ROI is outperforming traditional types of marketing.

Segmented Email Marketing Campaigns Yield Better Results
A return on investment can be driven even higher with proper market segmentation and expansion of an email list. Targeted lists tend to bring in more ROI because customers and prospects are either familiar with the brand or are already searching to buy a specific product or service. Chances of closing sales on this type of prospect are much greater — and often involve a commitment of less time and money.

How an Email Campaign Can Help Search Engine Marketing
Email marketing campaigns have additional benefits to a company or organization’s bottom line. Targeted email campaigns can also increase website traffic. The purpose of email marketing is to either inspire a client or prospect to buy (or contact the sales department immediately), or to drive traffic through a website where an individual may become more familiar with the brand. Prospects and customers that visit a website via an email campaign are better informed about products, services and specials and are likely to become return visitors and loyal clients who want to build a relationship with the company or organization.

Three Steps to a Successful Email Marketing Campaign
There are many facets to beginning and continuing a professional email campaign that is effective. First, a company or organizational leader must select the right email service provider, because a large volume of emails cannot usually be sent via most email addresses without being ‘flagged.’ Some examples of email platforms include Vertical Response and Constant Contact. Second, a targeted email list must be compiled and converted into the proper format for the email service provider website or software. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the content for a monthly, bi-monthly or weekly email campaign must be in sync with other marketing strategies, and created and executed on a regular basis.

Online Marketing for Small Business Should Include an Email Campaign
If emails received from any company are to remain ‘in-box worthy’ then the information must be interesting and offer relevant information to the intended audience. Email marketing is similar to other online marketing methods because there must be a steady stream of generation of new, interesting content for it to be a success and generate real ROI. Without proper strategy and execution, an email campaign might just fall flat and not produce the results anticipated.

In the beginning of the Internet’s popularity, when email marketing was in its infancy, not much was known about the ROI of email campaigns. There was very little written about effective Email campaign methodology and measurement of ROI. Now, email marketing has become a type of science, with most Web analytics programs providing accurate measurement of results. Small businesses marketing online benefit greatly by hiring a consultant or expert in email marketing to formulate, execute, and measure the results of Email campaigns.

Text message marketing is the most engaging marketing tool for small businesses. Recent data shows that 95% of text messages are read within the first five minutes. This statistic alone tells business owners that text message marketing is a more effective and low cost means of promoting your business.

Here are some reasons why:

Cellphones are the most common accessory. Google says 91% of the population has a cell phone. In other words, not many people leave home without this pseudo appendage. This level of saturation ensures customers. In other words, customers don’t leave home without their cell phone. This saturation ensures that your customers may get your message sooner than email or social media.

Consumers are spending more time on mobile devices. Gartner says that mobile device usage will pass PCs in just two years. Why not take advantage of a medium that’s growing in usage? Plus, you’ll be seen as forward-thinking.

B2B marketing is expected to grow 75 percent in the next three years. Marketers will increase B2B marketing spending from $26 million to $106 2014. Text messaging could be a way to break through the clutter. And, we’re seeing increased usage as a communication vehicle between businesses.

SMS marketing is cost-effective. Text marketing is similar in cost to email marketing and much less expensive (and less time consuming) than direct mail or traditional advertising.

Texting is simple and effective. SMS marketing doesn’t allow for fluff. It’s the simplest way to get to the point and still connect with customers. Plus, there’s exclusivity in text messaging – it’s one to one communication instead of one to many.

Extremely targeted. Texting allows business owners to target their marketing like no other medium. It’s simple to make the conversation relevant to only the customers it affects.

Coupons become mobile (and green). If you’ve ever gone to a restaurant and forgot to print the coupon, this one’s for you. Mobile coupons keep the deals on customer’s phones and your business top of mind.

You see an immediate impact. Instead of waiting for an ROI on your ads, direct mail or the A/B test on your email marketing, drive business today with text marketing. And you’ll see an immediate return.

Know your customers. SMS marketing allows you to pinpoint who your customers are unlike newspapers, online ads or email marketing. When you send a message you know it is going to a customer who chooses to do business with you.

Permission-based marketing. Consider text opt-ins an invitation to connect with your customers. When a customer opts in, they want to hear from you. And, that’s the most powerful marketing of all.

Text message marketing is a simple, effective way to connect with your customers and the cost is well below traditional advertising methods. If you’re interested in trying text marketing in your business, visit this link to see how it works and to sign up for a free trial.

Personally, I’ve been involved with MLMs for over a decade. Until I learned this foundational secret, I’ve never been able to make the businesses work. So like many of you have done in the past, or like many of your downline will do if you don’t pass this knowledge on, I abandoned the opportunity altogether. I have found that every one of those MLM opportunities start you out the same way — a brainstorming exercise.

This brainstorming exercise is to get you to think of at least 100 people that know to introduce to the business. Now this exercise usually comes with an aid that is often called a Memory Jogger. This aid has you listing close family, distant family, friends, associates, neighbors, coworkers, the guy who mows your lawn, the lady who cuts your cheese at the deli, your cable guy, the mail person… you get what I’m saying here, right? You’ve heard all of this before. Basically any and everybody you come in contact with on a regular basis.

Think Everyone Is Your Prospect? Think Again!

That is what we are taught by our uplines — “Everyone Is Your Prospect!” Everyone we meet is a potential business partner who we can mold and shape into another harassing, stranger tackling, sample & brochure toting, broke MLM Business owner. Now with this particular weapon in your arsenal, you have undoubtedly faced rejection after rejection. How much of that can one person really take? In one MLM Business that I’m involved in, they actually gave us a “100 No’s Sheet.” We are supposed to prospect people until we get 100 No’s. Can you believe that? They are essentially telling us to build a business while building a tolerance, a force field essentially, for rejection. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like hearing the word “No” nor do I want to get used to hearing it!

As a business owner, not just in MLM businesses, I believe that everyone I meet is a potential customer. This doesn’t mean that I shove my products down their throats the moment that I meet them. It simply means that I’m constantly listening to them for a way that I can improve their life, situation, health, and/or well-being with my products. I don’t even carry samples around. I simply carry business cards that list my sites, and I highlight the site and maybe write something extra on it to remind them why they have the card. Now that person can choose to use it or not. No harm no foul, I get tons of business cards for cheap.

Notice, however, that I said “potential customer,” not business partner. This is for a very good reason. A long time ago, I realized that the world is filled with Sellers, Buyers, and Haters. Sellers are the people, like you, who get it. Sellers are the people who understand that it’s important to have multiple streams of income and are the folks who will jump at the chance to hear more about your MLM Opportunity and Compensation Plan. Sellers are other business owners! Buyers are your customer base. Buyers are the people who will purchase your product because it is useful or simply because they want to support you. They will never be interested in joining your opportunity because the risks of owning their own business are just too much for them. Haters are the people you get rejected by the most often. Haters don’t want to join your MLM Business or buy your product. In fact, they will buy a similar product from someone else, a stranger even, just not from you. Why they do this is beyond me, but you’ve seen these folks. They are located in our inner circles. We consider them the closest of family and the best of friends. All they ever have for you when it comes to your business is “No.”

With everyone split into these three groups, how can it be possible that “Everyone Is Your Prospect?” The statement just simply is not true! Your upline, however, continually tells you to hit the pavement with costly samples and brochures in tow prospecting everyone you meet, compiling your rejections onto your 100 No’s Sheet as a constant reminder of how much rejection you’ve faced with little to no results. What happens when the sheet is filled up you ask? Well, they just tell you to start a new sheet. Your told that direct sales/network marketing is a numbers game and the more you prospect the more positive results you will achieve. It’s sort of like when they have you tell your party host to invite 30 people to ensure that 10 people show up.

In case you haven’t figured this out already, you have two completely unique target markets — Buyers and Sellers. Realizing that, like me, you were probably taught those “old school” methods that make you believe that everyone who buys your products will naturally share them with friends and family and then will want to join the business to get them at a discount, and/or to make some extra cash.

What Is A Target Market?

By definition, a target market is basically a group of people who are specifically interested in what you are offering. These are the folks who are most likely to buy your product and/or join your business.

Why Just The Buyers and Sellers?

Remember what I said about Buyers — they aren’t interested in owning their own business. Why is that? For many reasons: Some people love what they do for a living to pay the bills (otherwise known as a J. O. B.) and will never leave it. Some are scared to be “self-employed” and with that attitude, should never be. Some are morally against making a lot of money or feel they have enough (or too much) already. Some are completely convinced that MLM Businesses are Pyramid Schemes (even after you try to explain the difference). Lastly, some just have no ambition (or simply don’t care) and want to remain at their current level in life. The Haters, well, do I really need to remind you of where they get you? Ok, I will… A one-way, express ticket, to Frustration-ville with a quick stop at NO, NO, NO Land.

Think about what you’ve been doing to be successful in your business recruiting. Have you been wasting time and money pushing your business onto Buyers and Haters, facing constant rejection, getting your blood pressure up from frustration? You want to get your opportunity in front of the right people, your target market, the Sellers. Once you do that, you will achieve 100x the results with a quarter of the effort. All of this while avoiding frustration and rejection. We want to work smarter, not harder, right?

Copyright 2011 © Alford I-Enterprises. All rights reserved.

Tamikia Alford is the founder of Alford I-Enterprises, an Internet Retail Company. She has over a decade of experience with MLM/Direct Sales businesses and over half a decade of Internet Marketing and SEO experience. Her educational background includes a BS in Computer Science and a MS in Software Engineering.

Many start-up Internet marketers are not aware what the difference between SEO and Internet marketing is. The explanation is very quick and easy though. Internet marketing is promoting products and services online. There are different ways to do that, and one of the ways is SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization. Here is a quick guide to different Internet marketing strategies and to determine if SEO is the right way for you to market online.

Internet marketing is not different from being a direct agent of a company; the only difference is that the advertising strategies are designed for online advertising. So instead of physically going out there or placing ads in local papers, Yellow Pages, radio or TV, maybe delivering leaflets and direct mail, you will have to find the same customers online. The good news is that it is much easier to find customers online than ever, as more and more consumers are searching for services and products on the Internet.

You can choose from many profitable Internet marketing strategies to promote your or other people’s products, services online. There are some paid methods like Google AdWords, other search engine listings and inclusion in some of the directories too. You can also place advertisements on other people’s websites and classified sites. But the very best and cheapest method of generating traffic that can be turned into a paying customer base in the long run is Search Engine Optimization.

Search Engine optimization is considered to be the most effective free traffic generation Internet marketing method. It is a little bit like a words and numbers game. If you get these two right you will be able to get the visitors to your site who are looking for just the product or service you are offering. How many more customers you will gain and how much you will be able to build up your company’s reputation are going to depend on the quality of your SEO campaign.

What Is The Basic SEO Strategies a Company Website Can use?

1. Article Marketing
One of the most effective SEO strategies is article marketing. The company does not have to create the content themselves; they can employ a freelance writer or a SEO company to create an article marketing campaign for them. Every link back to the site is going to potentially refer an interested visitor to the web page, and every link is going to increase the site’s ranking in search engines.

2. Press Releases
As with article marketing a company can get interested visitors to their site in just seconds if the SEO targeting strategy is planned well. The other advantage of press releases is that it improves credibility and public relations too, not to mention that companies can directly promote their new products to targeted readers.

3. Optimizing pages
In order to set up a profitable SEO strategy a company has to get their websites optimized for search engines. This can be a lengthy process, especially if one has no experience in keyword research, however this obstacle can be easily overcome by employing a SEO expert company to do the whole project.

In the last ten years marketing via the internet has been going from strength to strength, as it’s evolved, also the way we do business has changed and that of the “business worlds” view of the Internet plus its possibilities for marketing and sales. The view of the consumer has also changed, as confidence has grown annually in the virtual world platform we all know as the internet.

Our appetites’ as consumers for more and more information makes it easier for businesses and companies to soft sell through subliminal advertising or more blatant targeted ad campaigns. So, what’s it all about? And what do many of the modern web marketing terms mean? Plus what internet marketing techniques can be used for the majority of businesses on a daily or monthly basis? If you are new to the world of the internet with regards promoting your business online, or you are keen to understand more about it all, here we will explore the basics of SEO and SEM, which are modern ways to promote your business as an internet marketing technique.

Probably the most banded about internet marketing term used currently is “Search Engine Optimization” (or “SEO” as it’s know in the marketing trade). Though this can mean and also be many things, normally it’s a term used for a way to tweak and/or change either page copy and / or “Meta info” or Key Words in the coding your website (usually this can be adjusted or changed by your web designer who manages your website), but in reality this is just the tip of the iceberg. SEO is generally used (& desired) to attract and raise your page ranking (or score) and search listings in searches carried out with the major search engines, predominately Google and in turn this can bring extra internet user traffic to your website, which is the ultimate goal.

There are other methods of SEO that can be deployed to assist in gaining much welcomed net user traffic to your company’s website. There is also a dark side to SEO that you will need to be aware of & it’s referred to as “Black Hat SEO”. This is where the SEO operative uses cheats or techniques that are less desirable by the search engine companies like Google and could lead to your website URL being blocked or non-listed in search ranking results, which will ultimately have a negative effect on your business.

Search Engine Marketing (or SEM) is another term widely referred to these days by many internet marketing companies; in essence it’s aimed towards using means and techniques to use contextual terms or phrases to achieve more relevancy regarding search engine searches and their rankings. This often achieved by link building which is used widely, not just sharing reciprocal links but also using networking or web directory websites, although many are free, but the better ones tend to be paid for links.

The best advice is, if you are not sure or new to this area of marketing; find a reputable and reliable Direct Response Advertising company to take care of the SEO, SEM and the general Internet Marketing needs for your business. Agree a budget with them and make sure you receive a monthly report and breakdown of the search results performance for the Internet marketing campaign for your website, so you can track the results.

Have you deployed your business Website a long time ago, but still do not have the desired number of visitors/customers? Do you fear that your site will soon be buried under the pressure of millions of other competing sites? Remember, nobody will visit your site if you do not implement the required efforts for breaking through the horde to attract potential customers. Well, you desperately need an effective online marketing strategy whose main goal will be to increase the number of customers visiting your site. This is where professional search engine marketing arises to take your business to new prospering heights from despairing depths.

Professional search engine marketing is an Internet marketing strategy that aims at directing more users towards your site by achieving a higher ranking on the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs) and other methods. It is among the most effective kinds of marketing, which focuses on two ways to fulfill its aim: Pay per Click (PPC), paid listings, and other ways of advertising and SEO. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search engine marketing (SEM) are two different methods to achieve the same goal; that is to improve the client’s online business. Between these two, the more important one is SEO that aims at ranking the website at a higher position in the SERPs. This makes sense as a majority of people finds the relevant Websites by using the SEs and using search terms. SEM uses various methods such as PPC, Article writing and submissions, and other means of Social marketing like Facebook and Twitter to market the website on the Internet.

An online business must prefer professional search engine marketing, as it skillfully determines how to make your site visible for a long term and how to identify the correct SEO and optimization strategies keeping in mind the current changes in the SEs. Further, such marketing has many benefits to you and your customers. Besides increasing the Website ranking as well as the number of customers, professional marketing connects you to your potential customers directly. This is done via social bookmarking, forums, articles and blogs.

With high ranking, your Web site becomes highly accessible to the new customers widening your market and reach. This is the most direct benefit of professional search engine marketing. It means that your online business will now fetch you more popularity, sales and profits. From the customers point of view, they can access your site anytime and from anywhere in the comfort of their home. With instant updates, few-click shopping, safe payments, other customer reviews about the products and services, and new attractive offers; your customers are sure to be even more satisfied than before. This is surely going to make them come back again whenever they need a new product or service.

Lastly, if you choose professional search engine marketing for your online business, you will benefit in terms of expenses that are surprisingly lower than the traditional marketing. Further, you obtain higher returns on your lower investments. However, you need to know that this marketing will be effective only if you hire a professional service provider.

What does a web design and development company know about internet marketing?

Marketing and SEO go hand in hand. They are distinctly separate specialties but have some common ground where they overlap and a web designer has to understand this in order to design a website and SEO it properly.

Marketing is a subject that many do not understand and when it comes to the internet most businesses really don’t understand it.

Internet marketing has become a big business and a lot of companies out there have made fortunes for themselves and their clients. When marketing is done correctly it pays off in a big way. When it is done wrong it can be a huge waste of time and money.

So the question is, what is the best marketing strategy?

This depends upon many different facets of your business and is one of the hardest points to communicate to someone. Marketing is a strategy, it is not a one shot panacea. There are many things that must be done for a marketing strategy to work for your business.

Let us take an example, you have a small business or you are an entrepreneur and have a brand new product. Ok, how do you market it? First you need to find out who needs this product, who wants it? How does it benefit them? Can they afford it? Is it cost effective and does it save them time or money or handle some other concern they have?

Now you have some idea who you can market to. Great, where are those people? How do you reach them? Postcards? A targeted direct mailing? Cold Calls? Personal contact? Fliers, brochures, pamphlets, etc? Do you design and build a website?

Let’s say you do the normal type of promotion, direct mailings and maybe a TV or radio ad. For most businesses they don’t need anything else. But for someone who has a web-based business these aren’t enough. You need something that reaches the masses, you don’t have a product that is limited by your fuel tank, it can be delivered digitally or via mail. Now we’re talking about building a website that showcases what you produce.

Websites can be done for free, but there are problems inherent in this. One is that usually you are required to put up with others’ ads on your website. Another is that you are the one doing all the work. Yes, you know the ins and outs of your product but you are not a web designer or a professional writer and more importantly writing articles and content on the internet is a specialty. There are reasons why people do this for a living; it’s because they know how to. It is not just writing something down, it has to be constructed in a way that the Search Engines want it. Yes, you know what your product is and what its benefits are, but in the same way you hire an ad company to write a specific ad for your business, you need someone who knows how to write content for the web to construct your articles.

The next point is that you at least have to have basic Search Engine Optimization done on your website.

What does this consist of?

A keyword analysis and those keywords put into the content, title and tags of your website. This has to be done in a very specific manner so it doesn’t look like spam.

Getting your website listed with the search engines, search directories, business listing sites and various other sites.

Then you can get much more detailed and this is where SEO and internet marketing overlap:

Using social media to promote your website, this can be through Facebook and Twitter and other social media outlets.

Writing articles about your products and getting them submitted to article submission sites.

Getting press releases about your services written by a professional writer and getting them submitted to various sites.

Writing or posting blog comments about your products and services.

Using RSS feeds to promote your site and services/products.

Making videos about your products or services and posting them on YouTube and other video sites.

What does marketing and promotion do to bring you business?

One of the biggest misconceptions I’ve seen people get confused about is believing that by doing one thing, that should be the source of new business. This is flat out wrong. What I mean by this is that you pass out business cards with your information on it, logically you’d expect that anybody who contacts you, got your business card and wants to do business with you. This is incorrect thinking. A marketing strategy and campaign is what is known as a broad shoot. You spread the word about your business and services as far and wide as possible so that when someone gets your card it reminds them that they saw your TV ad and they call you. You want that broad shoot to spread your message across as much territory as you can get. It doesn’t matter that you spend the money on one area and don’t feel you are getting a response. How do you know it isn’t supporting another one of your promotional campaigns? The fact is, you don’t. That’s why it is called a marketing strategy: it is many things working in conjunction to drive more business in so that you can expand.

Some businesses even try to track where they get their new customers from. This is pure folly really. You can ask a person where they heard about you. Usually it is the last place they heard your name, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t hear it 10 other times from other sources. What they tell you is just what they remember.

Some will tell you that direct mail doesn’t work, others that cold calling is too difficult and not worth it, etc. They tell you this so that you will buy into their marketing program and for no other reason. Some will recommend what works for them, which is fine, but it doesn’t mean it will work for you. I have many friends that own their own businesses and every single one promotes differently, gets their customers in a different way and some of these business owners are in the same line of work! My point is that you have to find the strategy that works for you and working with a professional who actually knows what they are doing is the best strategy of all.

Is there anything that you are doing wrong? Well, sure, if you are in the business of selling cars and all your promotion says you repair houseboats. You can have flat out wrong promotion, but in the marketing world it is all a numbers game, the more traffic you get the more sales you’ll get. On the web, the more relevant traffic you get, the more sales you’ll have and that is the name of the game! In order to get the leads you want, you must have a website that is designed well, optimized properly and then marketed properly. You achieve this by working with a professional web designer to build a properly SEO’d website and a competent internet marketer who knows what he is doing.