• What is niche marketing and why is it so important?

• What is the difference between Product and Service Marketing?

• What Should Be On The First Page of Your Website?

• How can I use Online specials or sales to increase traffic to my site?

• What is the easiest way to promote my website?

• How can I let other people I do business with know about my website?

• Content is King.

• Using online articles to promote your web site.

• Mass Mail Campaigns

• Can my email address hurt my business image?

• Using press releases to market your web site.

• Press Release Ideas

• Using your business card to advertise

Most experts agree that the best way to have a successful website is to choose a niche and market to that niche.

Focus on what you are good at. If you make widgets...sell widgets! Find the niche you want to serve and market to that niche. Establish a domain name such as www.widget.com and make sure it is on all stationary, business cards, signs, emails and promotions.

Advertise in Widget Monthly magazine. Send Press Releases to Widget resellers, magazines and newsletters.

Create or have an email signature created that includes a link to www.widgets.com. If you have company T-shirts, caps or pens, include widgets.com on all of them.

Establish professional email accounts that announce your business and website.
For example: ceo@widgets.com.

Focus your marketing efforts so you reach people that are interested in widgets. Don't waste time and effort trying to market to a collectively larger audience when only ten percent may be potential widget consumers.

Join news lists and forums related to your product and post useful commentary not just ads. Expert commentary will drive more people to your site than any ad.

The internet is a big place with sites that address almost every topic, so it is important to focus your site and marketing efforts at what you do best.

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Target marketing is often thought of as defining a target audience and focusing your marketing efforts on that specific group. This approach works well if your marketing efforts are service and not product driven.

Marketing a product for it's potential for sales alone is a recipe for mediocre sales and poor customer loyalty.

Marketing strategies should be developed based on "service" not on "sales". Marketing a service to a target audience is a solution-based approach to sales. Offer the solution to your customers problem and your sales will increase and customer loyalty will multiply.

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There are four main items that should be readily identifiable on the first page of your web site.

• Your Brand identity or logo should be easily identified on your home page. This is importnt to maintain brand consistency between print, electronic and other mediums.
• The benefits derived from doing business with you should be apparent to each visitor.
  
• Your professionalism or expertise should be obvious from the design, colors, text and content of the first page.
• A clear statemnt regarding the product or service you are offering should be visible on the first page of your web site.

These four things should be visible in the main or upper pane of a visitors browser. A visitor should not have to scroll to view this information (above the fold).

If your web page loads quickly and you follow these four simple rules, your web site will be ready to attract visitors to the other pages of your site.

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Online specials or sales are a great way to market your site. Once your customers realize that your specials or sales are listed on your site you can generate a high repeat traffic rate. And we would all like our customers to visit our site regularly. A regular dose of our logo and positive product descriptions can't hurt business. Many people bookmark their favorite sites when they know that a new sale or special will be available periodically.

In addition to regular promotions many companies offer specials that are only available online. A nice reward for the customer willing to visit your site monthly.

Promote your online specials or sales along with other advertising. " Visit us online for current (or additional) specials or sales"; this can be an effective way to compliment other marketing efforts.

Don't forget to include your website address in other advertising, remember your website is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even when your ad isn't running.

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Put your website address on everything! It is the least expensive way to advertise your website, and probably the most effective.

When I get a receipt, a bill, a bag or a printed ad, guess what I look for? First the specials, then I look for your web site address. I also hear radio ads, and see newspaper ads, and I listen or look for the same thing.

Some of you already have your web address on advertisements, others on printed receipts and bills. This is a great way to direct people to your website.

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If you send statements, billings, or notices to your customers, add an extra slip of paper that has your web site address in large print. Better yet, use that computer for something other than a very expensive e-mail machine and create business cards that only list your web site.

Try sending them along with all your mail, especially when paying a bill......what do you do if there is something else in that payment envelope???

People are happy to see your check, so, why not catch them in a good mood?

Don't be embarrassed, all of the Fortune 500 companies add inserts to there mail at some point or another, why not you?

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Content is king on the internet. You have a website, created to show off your wares. It was designed to reflect a specific image so changing it every few weeks or months probably isn't such a good idea. However, new content, new items for sale, new specials, news items, attractions, weather, sports etc., can make a big difference in the number of people that not only visit but return to your site again and again.

We all know that constantly changing a website is time consuming, but there are ways to change your content without spending hours in front of the computer or spending a fortune.

Choose a section of your site, it may be monthly or weekly specials, links, area news, event calendars etc. Update that section of your site regularly and visitors will return to view the updates.

If your site isn't conducive to these types of changes, offer news headlines, sports, a daily cartoon, stock ticker or site of the day to attract repeat visits to your site.. Many of these can be implemented in your site with java scripts, VB scripts, or I frames. What this means is that the content is imported from another source and updated automatically, giving your site fresh content on a regular basis.

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A quality website with informative, fresh and substantial content will always do better than sites trying to "manipulate" their way to a good ranking on a search engine. That's why the major search sites have such a huge market share -- they provide quality search results. Websites that qualify as such are usually the first sites presented in their search results.

Providing quality content takes work. And you can do it by writing articles for your niche market. If your site focuses on fashion, then write an article about a specific fashion every week. In a year you will have 52 new web pages (or more) that are rich in relevant keywords that will help grow traffic to your website. And this content is the cornerstone of your website.

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E-mail has been and still is an excellent way to promote your web site.

Lately however the internet has been inundated by ads stating: " You can get thousands of responses by using Bulk E-mailing Services". This is true, however you probably wouldn't like the response you get.

Bulk E-mail is commonly known as spam and most people don't like it. It is the electronic equivalent of junk mail. The responses you receive will more than likely be angry recipients letting you know that they don't appreciate being spammed.

Instead, create a pre-approved E-mail list. A list of recipients who agree to receive information from you periodically. For example: An electronics store could ask if customers would like to be informed when new product lines come in. A form that allows visitors to submit their E-mail address can even be added to your web site so they can receive information about your latest offering.

When a new product line is introduced, those who have submitted their E-mail address are the first to know. Remember, people don't want everyone else to know whose mailing lists they are on, so be careful and respect their privacy.

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Does Your Email Address Help or Hurt Your Image?

One of the glaring tip-offs that a company is really Net savvy is the effort they put into looking professional. Well designed web site. Lots of content. Reliable server. But little things can make a difference.

Little things like the email addresses used in relation to the business. When I visit a business site and notice that the webmaster's email address is billybob@aol.com or sue0954@yahoo.com or some other free email service, I have to wonder who I'm dealing with. How professional is this business?

Use only email addresses that are part of the company domain. Messages can still be forwarded to any other address using an email alias without the sender ever knowing, but make your official addresses @yourdomain.com.

If your site is hosted by Abstract Interactive, an email @yourdomain.com is available for free. Take advantage of this option and enhance your business image.

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You can send press releases out to "lists", and other mass media outlets, but you should see a better response rate if you target your release to outlets that have an obvious interest in your announcement.

Find magazines and publications that appeal to your target audience and submit your news release to the editor of these publications.

Be certain to submit only legitmate news releases. An advertisement disguised as a news release will turn an editor off immediately, and may hurt your chances of legitmate releases being published. Don't expect immediate results, continue to submit legitmate news releases unless you are notified that the publication doesn't accept private releases.

New charitable associations, drives and events are often newsworthy, as are innovations, new - previously unavailable product lines, and company mergers.

Be sure to include your web site address in your release, even if it isn't published the editor may visit your site to check facts and make references.

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Has your company created a new product, or improved on an existing one? Or how about a significant product, employee or company anniversary? Has your business seen a large increase in sales or expanded it's distribution territory?

How about a new employee, staff promotion or have you purchased a major piece of equipment?

Have you or your employees recently begun an association with a charitable organization?

Are you participating in any trade shows, sponsoring educational meetings, or do you have a public speaking engagement?

Any of these ideas and many more is relevant information for a press release. Consider any unique situation as an opportunity to use a press release to promote your business.

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Put your ad on free bulletin boards at grocery stores, restaurants etc. Many local business enterprises offer a specific place where other local businesses can display a business card. Grocery store bulletin boards are often a source for free advertising.

Be sure to check first, some bulletin boards are designated for "private use only", no businesses allowed.

Make sure your business card is clean and wrinkle free to create the best impression. A tattered business card screams "unprofessional".

Include your business card in the envelope with all outgoing mail every one enjoys getting mail.

Last, make sure your web site address (URL) is prominently displayed on your business card.

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