Category Archives: Investment

Internet Marketing Guide – What You Need to Do to Move Beyond the Basics

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Almost every Internet marketing guide you’ll find online works best for beginning marketers. There are a few exceptions but those that receive the most hype are often designed for the newbie to follow. They provide a “just the facts ma’am” basic overview of the highlights and rarely dig deep down into the why’s and wherefore’s of building a marketing business online.

For the beginner’s this is very helpful. But, what about those who are ready for something a little more “meaty” rather than the milk and breadcrumbs that are normally offered?

Outsourcing

This is one highly underrated aspect of Internet marketing for more advanced marketers and must be part of your strategy if you really want to broaden your income potential. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Work to your strengths and outsource your weaknesses.

Whether you would do best to outsource content production, SEO, keyword research, web 2.0 applications, or the more technical aspects of your online marketing there are two very good reasons that outsourcing is wise. It enables you to focus on what you do best to use that time more productively rather than getting bogged down and floundering on aspects of marketing that aren’t as natural for you. It also ensures that you are getting better quality than you’d give to a task you find loathsome. Outsourcing is a secret weapon of the gurus that you won’t find in the pages of the average Internet marketing guide or eBook.

Partnerships and Joint Ventures

This is another thing that many beginner guides for Internet marketers don’t mention. One reason is that it’s very tough to find willing partners if you’re a beginner. No one wants to feel as though they are “carrying” the campaign. Also, it’s difficult for a stark novice to know what is and isn’t a fair deal in joint ventures.

Once you’ve run a few successful campaigns it’s time to consider branching out and joining forces with marketers in similar niches or those that will complement your niche nicely. You don’t want to team up with the competition but if your niche is in organic pet food you might want to consider joining forces (and mailing lists) with another marketer who has a successful and responsive list for pampering puppies. The possibilities are limitless and can be very profitable.

Web 2.0

This is the new buzzword in online marketing circles. It’s also not for the faint of heart or the absolute beginner. Once you begin building your brand (or your name in the niche you inhabit) you’ll find that using multiple platforms for marketing is a great way to leverage your efforts. Web 2.0 is somewhat of a “catch all” term for using FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace, and other social networking platforms in your marketing efforts. When done well it can bring in serious money month after month.

When your business is ready for the next step in Internet marketing it’s time to incorporate each of these three things into your business model and planning.

Social Media for Small Business – 3 Secrets of a Good Website

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When using social media marketing for your business, the first and most important element is your website.

Your website or landing page is the first contact your potential customer has with you after finding you through your social marketing campaign. To reduce your visitors clicking off the page, use these three guidelines:

First- Think simple and free of clutter

Just like your desk, if your website is packed pull of unorganized and random elements… clean it up quickly.

Most of the time visitors to your site will judge your page within 3 seconds and either decide to stay or leave. Having a cluttered site makes it hard for your visitor to find out if you have what they are looking for. Always make it easier for your web visitor to find exactly the information you are providing without having to click all over the place.

Also, make sure to guide your web visitor in the direction they need to be going. For instance if there is information about different types of information, give them a choice like “If you are looking for dental insurance, click here… for motorcycle insurance, click here.” Making it simple helps them find what they need quickly and reduces the chance of them leaving early.

Second – Avoid big filed graphics and animations

Your web visitors will be coming to your site from various different platforms, computers, and internet speeds. If you load up your site with large graphic files or processor heavy animations, you limit the amount of people that can view your site.

These days, many people use their phone and other mobile devices to quickly find information or a merchant and you don’t want to restrict their access. Flashy sites are for winning agency awards, not for doing business. Keep it simple and light.

If you need help building a site, don’t worry about having to learn HTML, CSS or Java. Use simple but powerful web building software like Weebly or WordPress and you’ll have a very a nice looking site that will do more than you need for running a business.

Third – Tell your visitor what to do

The call to action is the most important step you need to have in your website or any other marketing piece you have. It tells your reader, “Look, to get your cavity fixed, pick up your phone, call 555-1234 right now and end the pain immediately!” While that might sound simple or obvious, you would be surprised the difference having a line like that makes.

Be sure to have clear, simple directions on what to do to contact you or how to request more information at the end of every page you have online or in print. You will quickly see a jump in your response.

Having a website for your social media marketing is vital. But don’t let it overwhelm you, it can be as simple as clicking a few buttons and writing some basic descriptions if you use the resources mentioned above. If you already have a website for your small business, go through it and make sure you’re keeping it simple and clean as discussed in the first steps.