OK this is not Rocket Science. Anyone with common sense and a basic understanding of marketing can figure this stuff out
But online marketing is a bit different. First of all… online the visitor/searcher is in control and they like it that way. You can’t force them to do anything. You must reach out and “meet them where they are now” and then help them find solutions to their problems. Keywords are the way that people tell you “where they are now.” Understand that and you will understand how to succeed online.
But I’m getting off topic…
What are the 5 things you need to do to succeed online? I must give credit for these to Jim Edwards. If you don’t know Jim he’s a very successful and very insightful online marketer. Here’s a link to one of his e-books. Yes this is an affiliate link. And no I’m not recommending it.
1. Target Your Audience Carefully
What exactly do your customers want and what words do they use to describe the products and services they will
purchase?
What are their TOP 10 problems / concerns / desires?
Your entire business should center around this list!
Don’t assume you know how and what they want to buy – ask
them!
From this research you will determine the “keyword phrases” your customers will use to find your business while surfing and using search engines and sites like Amazon or eBay.
You should then focus completely on these keywords while constructing your entire web presence, blogs, product titles, advertising campaigns, article titles, and more.
2. Focus Your Website Content On Your Keywords
Your website should center exclusively on those issues directly related to what you sell online. That means you focus on problems and solutions. Your visitors only care about solving their problems. You either help them or they will be gone.
If you sell “purple widgets” then only write about the characteristics, features and benefits of using your purple widgets.
Take great care in your copy writing to keep your text focused on one subject per web page and make liberal use of your keywords and their synonyms.
Constructing your “mini sites” and “landing pages” in this manner will aid you greatly in keeping people focused on your sales message long enough to make a buying decision.
Structuring your communications this way will also help you with favorable search engine placement.
3. Look For Targeted Traffic!
A website without visitors rates the same as having thousands of copies of a beautiful brochure that you have printed and then store them in your garage. They never get to do the job they were designed for.
But not ALL traffic is good either. Be sure to focus on finding traffic with “buying intention.”
Don’t fall victim to traffic scams which promise thousands of visitors for only $100. Those schemes don’t work because the traffic isn’t targeted. In other they don’t have the problem that your solution solves so they have no business on your site.
Also, search Google for your main keywords, see which blogs and niche-related sites appear. Look at those sites and target the ones selling advertising to merchants like you.
You can often get significant amounts of good converting traffic by running ads on targeted websites (and this strategy is ignored by the VAST majority of online business owners).
4. Always Build Relationships
Successful online businesses build relationships with their customers and prospects. You can only do this if you stay in touch with them through value-added mailings, emails, and updates.
Online businesses whose only communication involves repeated “pitches” or opportunities to spend money don’t do well in the long haul. You must put your audience’s needs before your profits. You’ll build stronger relationships that way.
A group of loyal customers and subscribers will sustain an online business owner much longer than a fat advertising budget ever could.
No matter what kind of online business you operate, you can keep in touch with articles, updates, videos, info-snippets, social marketing, and more!
5. Things Change – Use It To Your Advantage
Understand that creating a successful online business requires commitment to a process of constant promotion and continuous education. What worked 5 or even 3 years ago may not work now.
You must stay current on cost-effective promotion techniques for driving traffic to your site as well as any factors specifically affecting your market online… i.e. Social Marketing sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.
The great news is that, as things change, you and your business can become the focal point and trusted resource customers turn to (and buy from) for years to come!
OK that’s a quick view of some important things to focus on in your online marketing. Hope you found it helpful.
Rick Hart
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