INTERNET MARKETING
If you do not have a website and if you are not currently using the Internet to generate new customers you are definately leaving money on the table, it is as simple as that, there are many benefits to getting your business online.
Don't be put off if you don't know anything about the Internet or Websites right now, just take it step by step.
The Internet is huge and at times it can seem an impossible task to sit down and work out how you are going to use it to market your business successfully.
Should you have a Website?
Should you get on Google?
Should you email people to get new work?
Should you get your business listed on the many online directories?
Should you join FaceBook, MySpace or any of the other Social Media websites?
Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes & Yes.
Using any one of these forms of Internet Marketing alone could seriously help you to get your message across and win new business.
But if you get good at all of the above you will receive a constant stream of potential new customers into your business which is likely to increase your turnover and profits.
In very simple terms here’s what you need to do:-
Attract visitors to your website via offline and online marketing and advertising.
Obtain their permission to begin a relationship with them by giving them something in return for their contact details, you will then be able to communicate with them over time offering your products/services until they become your customers.
There are many opportunities for you to promote your business on the internet and most of your competitors are not aware of them, check out the following:
Your Website
Your website is the keystone of all your marketing and internet marketing, it is the place where your other marketing and advertising leads to and you need to get clear in your mind as to exactly what the purpose of your website is. Is the main purpose of your websites to sell? Are you offering free information? etc.
I suggest to you that the main purpose of your website is to offer free information to your visitors in exchange for their contact details, this information can be in the form of a Free Report, or Ebook containing information that your visitors will be interested in.
If you think about the way you Surf the Net you go quickly from one site to another, you need to give your visitors a compelling reason to stop, take notice and give you their details. If you just try and sell to them straight away you will get less people through your door.
Online Directories
There are 100's of online directories and many of them are free, these will all bring you a certain amount of website traffic. Also, the more listings you have in online directories pointing back to your website the better your website will do in the Search Engines. The best way to find these Online Directories is to go onto Google and search for what you offer. This will bring up a list of results which will include directories where your competitors are advertising, simply click on the ads to see if you can also advertise on the directories.
Online Banner Advertising
Big businesses use banner advertising but there is no reason why you can't also use Banner Advertising to promote your business, many directories offer banner advertising but you really want your Banner to appear somewhere that is highly targeted to your prospective customers. Local directories or Network sites are great if you are looking for local business. If you choose to use Banner Advertising you really want to test it to see if its worthwhile, I would have a specific offer along with a promotional code specific to that banner, that way you can monitor the amount of calls you receive as a direct result of the banner ad.
Google Pay Per Click Advertising
Have you tried PPC to drive visitors to your website? It is incredibly easy to get started with Google PPC advertising and can be extremely profitable if you get it right. It is well worth testing PPC as you can have your ad online on the first page of Google within a few hours, you can set a daily budget on your ads and you can split test different ads. You only pay when someone visits your website, its like advertising in the newspaper but you don't pay a penny until someone contacts you. If you need help with PPC let me know.
Article Marketing
Article marketing is a great way of driving visitors to your website, it is also a great way of establishing you as an expert in your field. Basically you write an article on a specific subject related to your business and then submit it to an online article directory where it will be ready by your potential customers.
Eg. If you are a Builder who also deals with clients planning permissions you could write and submit articles giving some advice on what you know about the planning process etc., your potential customers would search the internet for planning information and if your article is relevant to their searches there is a very good chance that your article will be found, your potential customer would read your article and possibly click through to your website. By the time these visitors arrive at your site they are very interested in what you have to offer and are more likely to become customers. If your service is only offered locally you would inlude that fact in your articles so that you only get people contacting you locally.
In addition to the website traffic that is generated as a result of the Article Marketing you could include the articles on your own site which would help your search engine rankings and also give you more credibiliy with all of your website visitors as you would be seen as an expert on the give subject.
Also, If you include your name in a few articles they will appear in the search engines when someone searches for your company name, again this will give you credibility.
To check out my articles go to Google and search for > Leonardo Wood or click below:
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Leonardo_Wood
You may also find my articles if you search Google for > Marketing Tips for Builders
I submit my articles to http://ezinearticles.com/ which is one of the biggest and best performing article directories.
