7 Mistakes to Avoid When Marketing on the Internet

Online Marketing

By Promotion World / by TJ Philpott

Marketing on the internet can be as hard or as simple as you make it. Many starting an online business go in with the assumption that online marketing is more automated then it really is. Relying upon automation this heavily often results in the failure to develop an effective and workable online marketing strategy. Without any 'direction' or strategy as to how results are going to be achieved many aspiring online entrepreneurs end up failing to earn an income. Quite often this failure is due to the same common mistakes.

Here are 7 common mistakes committed by many starting an online business due to their inaccurate assumptions about online marketing.

1) (Failure to) Build a List

Failing to collect names in order to build a list of email addresses you can continuously promote to is a BIG mistake. Building a business online is a long term process that requires time and effort. An integral part of that process is collecting and developing a list of email addresses that you can promote well into the future. By doing so you are able to take advantage of the efficiency of both your cost and effort while still growing your business.

2) (Failure to) Build a Relationship

When you build a list for your online business you first want to develop a relationship with list members BEFORE you start promoting to them. This helps to strengthen their loyalty towards you and makes your promotional efforts easier.

3) 'No Ask No Get'

As your relationship with list members grows now is the time to begin promoting your goods and services. It is not necessary nor is it recommended to make every email message promotional in nature. On the other hand do not be shy about marketing to your list either since this is why you collected names in the first place.

4) Lacking Perseverance

Do not expect that every time you promote something the people on your list will buy since this is unrealistic. It is important to understand that on average it can take up to seven contacts with a person before they make a purchase. In other words DO NOT GIVE UP after one or two attempts!

5) Overusing Graphics

Placing graphics or using multi-media tools on your site is perfectly fine as long as it aids the selling process. Be careful to NOT overload your site with too many distractions however since this will be an annoyance and distraction for your website visitors. You want them to clearly understand the message on your site which of course is to make a purchase.

6) Ineffective Sales Copy

Copy writing is how you sell anything on the internet and if you do not know how to produce effective sales copy either learn to or hire a professional. This should be considered a very important component of your overall online marketing strategy.

Look around online and examine the various sales letters and see how they are written. Notice how they 'target' certain emotional triggers in the reader and at what point in the sales copy this done. Copy writing is a talent that can be learned and if you take the time to do so it will be one of your most valued assets.

7) Expecting Not to Work Hard

An online business differs from a traditional off-line business only in that the primary means of communicating to your customers is through the internet. Online entrepreneurs must first invest their time and effort in order to see their businesses grow and flourish. It is true that many tasks can be 'automated' it but you will FIRST have to establish a business to do this.

If you are thinking online marketing is an easy road to overnight riches you have been misled. Online marketing is a way to realistically build a solid and lucrative business in a 'relatively' short period of time but only AFTER an investment of time and effort.

Many tasks can be automated when marketing on the internet however online entrepreneurs must also take an active role in their business in order to succeed. Assuming that a business can run itself and sell to customers WITHOUT hands on involvement by the owners is a fallacy that leads to many business failures. The need to develop a realistic online marketing strategy along with the willingness to 'ask for the sale' is vital to the success of any online business. The 7 common mistakes reviewed here today are by-products of assuming your business can run itself. In the end the income you are able to earn will be in proportion to the time and effort you invest in your business.

Promote Yourself

From Wired

Learning the art of selling yourself is a necessary part of finding a great job.

You have to become an expert at self-promotion, but you have to know how to do it without being tacky -- somewhere between the real estate agents' billboard advertisements and the introverted wallflower standing in the corner at the party is the perfect blend of self-assurance and humility that'll land you your dream job.

Here's our guide to mastering the skills you need to get your future employer's attention, stand out in a crowd of applicants and appear as the consummate professional while doing so

1) Separate your spheres

One easy way to avoid any embarrassing gaffes with potential employers is to keep your business life separated from your personal life. If you have to go with free webmail, pick an address that's just your first and last name -- joe.smith@gmail.com -- if you can get it. If your name is taken, add something short that reflects what you do -- janedoewriter@gmail.com.

2) Build your brand

Pick something simple, nothing too clever or cheeky -- just your name and contact info. Hand them out whenever you can, but don't get too carried away. Business cards are not a conversation starters, they're for staying connected once contact has been made.

3) Prepare

Self-promotion is difficult, especially if you're not a naturally outgoing person, but with these tools and tips and little bit of practice even the shyest wallflower can elevate his or herself to billboard material.


4) Conclusion

Self-promotion is difficult, especially if you're not a naturally outgoing person, but with these tools and tips and little bit of practice even the shyest wallflower can elevate his or herself to billboard material.

faceBook Advertising

Should you buy into the FaceBook Craze?

You really can't miss the FaceBook ads when your logged in. There right there begging for your attention. Even if you don't want to look at them you can't help it. Some of the dating ads alone are like G rated porn pictures. These are the new FaceBook ads.

Microsoft is no longer serving display ads on FaceBook and the difference is slightly obvious. Traditional display ads, especially the remnant ads Microsoft was serving up, didn't pay off so well on FaceBook or any other social network for that matter. The problem is that people don’t want to see ads when they are hanging out with their friends online.

However the display ads on FaceBook on high quality images with audience (almost) targeted ads. Social ads have only worked for FaceBook because it operates at such a massive scale that all those pennies add up. FaceBook should be able to target ads to your specific interests and demographic because it knows so much about its 400 million members - for better or worse. Facebook is still trying to figure out what kind of advertising will work.

Is FaceBook ads worth your investment? Yes.

Here are 10 steps to target FaceBook buyers

Location Targeting - This is a powerful way for both national companies and local small businesses to make sure their ads are reaching customers in their target markets.

Keyword Targeting - I cannot say enough how important it is to use audience, product and service specfic keywords.

Connection Targeting - This is a form of networking and as we all know networking works. "Expand your audience reach by delivering your ads to the friends of people already connected with your Page, Application, Group or Event. "

Relationship Targeting - Who uses your products or services the most? Married or single people? Divorced? Relationship Targeting is choosing your potential customers by their relationship status.

Birthday Targeting - One word, coupons wishing them a happy birthday. Everyone loves a discount.

Education Targeting - Educational costs are expensive so if you have a product or service that helps starving students this is a big winner for audience targeting.

Gender Targeting - Are your products or services mostly bought by male or female?


Workplace Targeting - Workplace targeting lets advertisers only show their ads to FaceBook users who are members of specific company networks.

Language Targeting - This means advertisers wanting to reach all FaceBook users who speak Spanish in the United States can now easily do so.


Age Targeting - Don't moan at this one... It's a fact that age is a major determination of the products that are purchased. Avon currently holds a majority in the 16 to 25 age range. So if your selling Mary Kay which has a higher age range audience, your not going to chose the younger age range.

FaceBook's biggest majority is the 18 to 25 age group followed by 26 to 34 group. If your age target is 11 to 17 years old (11%) or 55 to 65 (4%) you have a smaller audience indeed. However that 11% and 4% still means thousands of users and more chance of a ROI (Return On Investment.)


In Closing...


FaceBook is the world’s largest social network, with over 400 million users. There is little doubt that they will improve its ad management system to offer more and better options for advertisers. Your ad needs to be audience targeted though. If your a band and you want more exposure, don't go for normal and businesslike.

FaceBook ads are all about audience targeting.

Promoting Your Business

Five inexpensive ways to market your website

1. Write articles or do guest blogging.
Newspapers, magazines and blogs look for free, interesting stories and articles that would benefit their readers. try writing an article or blog post and submit them to publications for consideration. Always include contact information at the end of your articles so that people will know how to contact you about your services or products.

2. Public Speaking
Business and civic organizations are always looking for people to speak at their meetings and social gatherings. Make yourself available by offering to speak to these groups, for free, about your area of expertise. Pass out contact information to all attendees. MeetUp is a good place to offer yourself as a public speaker.

3. If you have more then one website, try using a portal site. A web portal refers to a Web site that offers a broad array of resources and services. In this use a web portal can list your different web sites and a brief description of each site. For an example go to Sierra Night Tide.


4. Press Releases - Do you have something to offer that would be newsworthy? have you added a new service or are you going to be part of or hosting an event? Newspapers and blogs can be a good source of free marketing. They are always on the look out for interesting tidbits of information for their readers. When you have something newsworthy, simply type up a press release and send it out to as many newspapers and relevant blogs as possible. Be sure to always include contact information when you do so.


5. eMail Newsletters - Consider reaching current, past and potential customers by e-mail.

Website First Impressions

"You never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression.

A good first impression will drastically increase the chances of that visitor returning again, and a bad first impression will be difficult to overcome.

Load Time – Most online surfers are impatient and slow loading pages will not keep us at a website.

Error Messages – This is a number one BAD "runaway" for me. If new visitors to your site are getting error messages and are unable to access your site, they’re not going to stay and they won’t be back.

Colors – Colors attract or repel a visitors. The colors of your website can have a huge impact on the overall attractiveness of the site. Choosing the right color combinations can be difficult, but fortunately there are a number of online tools that can help. Read The psychology of colors for more on this information. Plus, I'll add a blog post about this soon.

Logo – Another factor in the overall look of your website is the logo. Most importantly, the logo should help to brand your business in the way that you want visitors and customers to think of you.

Header Images – They can have a strong effect on first impressions. Personally, I like to see only one header and I like it to see it placed higher on the page. Use an attractive header image to make it stand out but don't over use them and make sure it's relevant to your website.

Font – A change in fonts may not be a drastic change, but it can make all the difference. You want it to be readable for most everyone. Not too small and not too big. You also don't want to use a font that is too decorative. Decorative fonts can be hard to read.

Layout – Whatever layout you use should draw the reader’s attention to those items that are most important. While most websites use a fairly standard design, a good way to make your site stand out is to use a more creative layout that is middle ground between creative and standard.

Advertisements – One of the easiest ways to make a bad first impression is to have a website that is full of advertisements. If you use advertisements that are relevant to visitors and are kept out of the flow of your content, visitors generally will not mind.

Your Reputation – Never lose your temper online, it will stay with you forever. It may not be remembered forever, but the forum, bulletin board or Review you blasted someone on will be around possibly forever. Some of your first-time visitors will be familiar with your website before they even visit. In many cases they may have read about you on another website that links to you. This is especially common for bloggers. If that visitor has read a positive recommendation of you before visiting your site, you will have already developed a little bit of a reputation / a first impression.

Ease of Navigation – This is so important. Great content but unable to find what we want on the website is a BIG annoyance. Don't make it an unwanted game to search for the products, services or a way to contact you.

Clarity of Purpose – New visitors should be able to quickly determine the purpose of a website. This is part of branding your website / business name. Use a descriptive tag line that sums up the site’s purpose and use an 'About Us' page for helpful for communicating the purpose.

Quality of Images and Photos – High-quality photo and graphics have a positive impact. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources online for getting high-quality, low-cost photos, and some are even free. However sometimes paying a bulk price is the better way to go when you don't want to waste 8 hours for the perfect picture.

Accessibility – The reality is that not all of your visitors are "the average visitor". Some are deaf, some are blind, some use older browsers, some will have slower connections, etc. If your website is not accessible to a visitor it’s almost guaranteed to create a bad impression.

Remember KISS - Not the band, KISS is an acronym for Keep It Short & Simple.

Popups and Pop-unders – Most internet surfers now have some sort of popup blocker, but some websites are still using them and it's really annoying. Most visitors don’t appreciate popups that aren’t blocked, and this does create a bad impression.

Video and Audio – Some visitors appreciate these elements and it’s evident by the success of such sites as YouTube that videos work. However, a general rule for video is that it should not start automatically without the user choosing to have it start. This is one trait that a lot of websites do that annoy me. Only one website I know of who does use automatic videos uses it well. The video is no more then 10 seconds long.

Associations – If you are selling a product, visitors like to see associations to someone or something they know and respect. An example of this is displaying a badge that shows membership in the Better Business Bureau.

Quality of Content – This is a big factor especially for blogs. A first-time visitor that finds really great content will remember their visit in a positive way and will pass on their online treasure.

Tone – The tone of the content can have an impact on first impressions. Unnecessarily negative tone by the blogger creates a poor first impression.

Flash Intros – A good amount of people are not Flash fans. I’m not a fan of flash intros on most websites. I do think they have their place on movies or rock bands websites but most flash intros are a waste of my time when I want or need the information quick.

One Step Advertising & Marketing

One Night Stands

One step marketing and advertising is like a one night stand - after the first try you'll rarely hear from them again.

When we open a Sunday newspaper we are bombarded by BUY BUY BUY NOW!

How often does this work on you?

The name of the business, the product or service, a big sale or grand opening or a "Don't miss out' statement. This does indeed work on some consumers. If it didn't the ads wouldn't be there. However, these types of advertising is not cheap. A lot of online marketing websites do the exact same thing. This is a One Step marketing process.

The one step marketing process is a big flashy website page that that tells the reader to act now or they WILL miss out on the deal of the century. The reader is supposed to take action to buy the product or service just from reading that page or marketing ad. Again...This does indeed work on some consumers but it's not very different from 'Spray & Pray.' You'll get some one time buyers but most people won't buy a second time.

Businesses that are 50 years old, a hundred years old and older are still around because consumers know them, like them and know people who buy from them. Without letting your customers get to know you, it's like walking up to a stranger at a party and asking "Will you marry me?"

Which one to buy?

Why but product A instead of product B?

By understanding how consumers make their choice in deciding to buy this one stead of that one, will give yourself a great advantage over your competitors. Know what your potential customers want and then give it to them.

Many of today's consumers begin their buying process by searching for information that will help them make their buying decision. There are four basic questions people want answers to before they buy.

1. What is available?
2. What features/extras are offered?
3. Where is it available?
4. How much will it cost?

1 - Before they decide who they should buy from, the first step is to find out what is available.

2 - What features or extras does product A, B & C have?

3 - Can a customer buy it online, a mile away or 10 miles away. Some people only want information online and buy locally. Others want information online and internet sale so they never have to actually "go shopping."

4 - Cost of the product. Is there a coupon? Do the extras and features extra cost something? Is product B cheaper then product A?


Customers want to do business with people they know, like and trust. They are often willing to pay more when they are assured of this added value. It's called peace of mind. When you are creating marketing content keep these important tidbits of consumer buying habits nearby. Let your current and potential customers know you care about both product / service quality and quality customer service.

Awareness Marketing Strategies

What are Awareness Marketing Strategies?

The goal of the Awareness strategy is to build favorable awareness of a company, product or service in the marketplace. The strategy of Awareness Marketing is to saturate the media with enough marketing messages and images so that they gain 'Top of The Mind' awareness in the industry marketplace among the competitors. In other words, they want their name to be permanently ingrained into the minds of as many consumers as possible. Awareness Marketing wants consumers to think of them first when it comes time for a consumer to purchase their type of product or service.

Example

You Deserve a Break Today at ....McDonald's

Don't Squeeze the ....Charmin

Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun, with ....Doublemint gum


You know these slogans because their marketers used Awareness marketing strategies.