- What Is Internet Marketing
- Why Should You Market On The Internet
- 5 Ways of Marketing On The Internet
- The Don'ts of Internet Marketing
And more new tips and information always being added to this list.
The internet is a global network of computers hooked together allowing people to share information, in text, graphic, sound and video format, all over regular telephone lines.
Simply put, internet marketing is marketing activities taking place through this digital, electronic process and being distributed to millions of potential customers worldwide via their computers.
Businesses, big and small, are using the internet to advertise and sell their products and services to millions of potential customers. "Virtual stores" allow people to view your wares, place orders, receive information and ask questions. Information can be downloaded to customers, without printing, courier, fax or long distance charges.
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Why Should You Market On The Internet
- Advertise your products and services in full colour, including pictures, sound and video.
- Interact with customers around the world, instantly, and with no long distance charges.
- Update or enhance your information as often as you wish with little or no costs.
- Download electronic product brochures or price lists to customers instantly and inexpensively.
- It's inexpensive marketing for the quality and worldwide coverage your business will receive.
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5 Ways of Marketing On The Internet
There are many ways to market your business on the internet, and more arriving all the time as the technology evolves. The list below outlines some of the more popular methods businesses are utilizing:
- Have your webpage designed and stored under another host website (ie. a shopping mall website).
- Creating your own "domain" (ie. www.yourcompany.com) for unlimited website usage.
- Paying for advertising spots, links, or graphic "banners" on other popular websites.
- Using email for direct marketing from "email mailing lists" available on the internet.
- Posting information about your business on all business sites, newsgroups and email lists.
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The Don'ts of Internet Marketing
Internet marketing is a powerful marketing tool to reach a large, global target audience. However it does have its negative aspects. People respond negatively to constant bombardment of email information if they are not interested. To limit the negative feelings and enhance your response rate, avoid the following mistakes or problematic situations:
- Don't make your webpages too elaborate or graphics heavy. A complex site that takes forever to load will quickly chase people to the next site. Keep in mind that not everybody browsing on the internet today has a top of the line computer and a high speed internet connection.
- Don't trap people deep in your site If you have multiple pages on your site, keep it easy to navigate through. Always supply "a way out" of a page and a simple navigational structure to follow. With so many sites on the internet now, once you get people to your site, you've got to keep them there without confusing them.
- Don't leave your site static for any period of time. A boring site that never changes, never gets return visits. Keeping it dynamic, interesting and informative without being too wild is easily achieved. Research the fundamentals of marketing communications and graphic design for guidance.
- Don't purchase or use just any email list for a direct email marketing campaign. Ensure it contains your target audience, meets your demographic and/or psycho graphic criteria, and allows for distribution of your products within your business capabilities.
- Don't continue to email literature if you've been requested to remove that name from your list. Angry people may take steps through your Internet Service Provider to have your service terminated.
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