Internet Marketing Information |
|
Outsourcing Your Web Marketing
The online world is constantly evolving. You may be thinking about outsourcing your Web promotion to an expert who is immersed in this world as their fulltime occupation, rather than trying to acquire this knowledge yourself, and cope with the pace of change in-house. So, what should you look for in a consultant, and what guarantees can you expect? Choosing The Consultant The consultant should ask a lot of questions about your business and your objectives. They need to be very clear about the specific goals of your site. Do you want as many visitors as possible (as in: "We get millions of hits on our Web site"), or are you more interested in attracting qualified leads? Are you selling products? Are you looking for new customers, sign-ups for your newsletter or events, media coverage, etc. It's possible that there could be different markets for each of your objectives. The consultant should show that they clearly understand the demographics of the audience you want to attract. This includes whether your markets are currently online, whether they are comfortable using e-mail, etc. It's also important to clarify any restrictions on your marketing - for example, if you're only targeting specific locations. The key to effective Web marketing is to have a comprehensive, integrated plan that focuses on where your markets "hang out" online. It's absolutely not enough to concentrate your efforts on search engines - that's a passive rather than an active approach. You want to reach out to your potential visitors, not wait for them to come to you. And, you want to ensure that your offline marketing includes your Web site - up to a third of your traffic can now come from real-world sources. So, the consultant should propose to you a wide-ranging plan (assuming that's appropriate for your goals) that includes: * Search engine strategies Effective Web marketing must also include an e-mail strategy. The consultant should include in their proposal some ideas for targeted, personalized (and fully opt-in) e-mail that is compliant with all State and Federal laws. This requires a contact database that you can use to select out the different audiences that you might have for these messages. The consultant should also be able to help you create this, if required. And finally, the consultant should explain how they propose to evaluate the success of any marketing campaign against your goals and objectives. Marketing is an ongoing process, during which you'll learn a lot about your site and about your visitors. This knowledge should be analyzed and used to tweak your site and refine your business strategies. A good consultant will be able to work with you to achieve this. What Guarantees Can You Expect? Let's be very clear - there is a distinction, which often gets blurred, between sales and marketing. The job of a marketing consultant is to bring qualified traffic to your site (or in other words, into your storefront). Completing the sale is then a separate challenge. Marketing is also a very gray area, in which it's difficult to provide cast-iron guarantees of results. This is particularly true in the area of search engine optimization, since the search engines are so unpredictable. In my opinion, if a consultant promises you "top ten placement" you should be very wary - it's possible that they are using tactics that could be classified as spam - soon if not now. And that can really hurt you - I have a colleague who was banned from Google because he hired "experts" who used this type of approach. Obviously you do want to check that the consultant has a good track record, and that they can provide references from other clients. I believe that good Web knowledge and proven online marketing tactics are as important as an in-depth familiarity with your industry. In setting your contract with the consultant, it's important to have a mutual comfort level with your goals, expectations and budget. There are many opportunities for free promotion online, but if you're prepared to spend some money, you can potentially build your traffic faster. Since building awareness of a site takes time, perhaps a minimum six-month period would be advisable, but with appropriate get-out clauses for both parties. Conclusion Good Web marketing is a team effort! Hire a consultant who you feel very comfortable with, who asks lots of questions to really understand your business and your goals, and who seems genuinely interested in promoting you. But then be prepared to work with them - respect and consider their suggestions, and allow them to be creative in their approach. © Philippa Gamse, 2003. All rights reserved. Philippa Gamse, CyberSpeaker, is a Web strategy consultant and professional speaker. Check out her free tipsheet for 23 ideas to promote your Website: http://www.CyberSpeaker.com/tipsheet.html Philippa can be reached at (831) 465-0317.
MORE RESOURCES: Meet the Founder of a Black-Owned Digital Marketing Agency Devoted to Helping Black Businesses Thrive Online BlackNews.com Jim Boykin – Internet Marketing Ninjas Business & Leadership Top Digital Marketing Packages in 2024 Influencer Marketing Hub A Case Study on Apple Marketing Strategy Simplilearn Digital Marketing Agency Market Size, Share | Trends, 2032 Business Research Insights 10 Best SEO Services Of 2024 Forbes 18 Online Review Statistics Every Marketer Should Know Search Engine Journal Meet The 7 Most Popular Search Engines In The World Search Engine Journal The Best SEO Conferences For 2024-2025 (Virtual And In-Person) Search Engine Journal Niche marketing: How brands can use influencers to reach niche pockets of the internet Sprout Social Juice Media Expands Mobile and Digital Marketing Capabilities Through Acquisitions of Mooko and MDG PR Newswire (PDF) Effects of digital marketing practices on performance of insurance sector: A critical approach with a review ResearchGate 10+ Digital Marketing Companies in the USA- 2024-25 Customer Think McDonald’s to focus on digital marketing with new fund Restaurant Dive What is Offline Marketing? (2024) DesignRush Digital ad spend worldwide 2027 Statista (PDF) Digital Marketing in the Makeup Industry - Attraction and Retention of Generation Z ResearchGate What is Influencer Marketing? – The Ultimate Guide for 2024 Influencer Marketing Hub 45 Marketing and Advertising Agencies in Chicago You Should Know Built In Chicago 15 Reasons Why Your Business Absolutely Needs SEO Search Engine Journal Satellite Internet Market Size to Hit USD 37.64 Bn by 2034 Precedence Research In-flight Internet Market Size, Share, Industry Report, Revenue Trends and Growth Drivers MarketsandMarkets How to Become a Digital Marketer in 2024? Simplilearn 6 Top Advertising Trends to Watch (2024 & 2025) Exploding Topics Mobile ad spend worldwide 2024 Statista (PDF) Challenges Faced by Indian MSMEs in Adoption of Internet Marketing and E-Commerce ResearchGate Bachelor of Science in Marketing Analytics (BSBA) Liberty News Top 22 Online Marketing Platforms for Digital Marketing in 2024 Influencer Marketing Hub 11 of the Best Digital Marketing Schools: From Certificates to Postgrad Programs Influencer Marketing Hub Digital Marketing Dynamics of 2024 Martechcube The 43 best marketing resources we recommend in 2024 Sprout Social Social media - statistics & facts Statista Best online marketing service of 2024 TechRadar Top 18 Digital Marketing Influencers Simplilearn Coca-Cola Marketing Strategy 2024: A Case Study Simplilearn McDonald's Marketing Strategy - A Case Study Simplilearn U.S.: e-commerce revenue 2019-2029 Statista What Exactly is Digital Marketing in 2024? Entrepreneur KFC Marketing Strategy 2024: A Case Study Simplilearn Top 10 Digital Marketing Trends For 2024 Search Engine Journal |
RELATED ARTICLES
Online Advertising: 10 Flaming Hot Ways To Heat Up Your Sales If you have a website but not making a lot of sales,I can understand how you feel.So, I want to offer you 10 flaming, online advertising hot secrets to heat up your sales. How To Come Up With New Product Ideas Have you ever wanted to add new products to your exsisting product line? Obviously one way to do that is to find a product that is already developed and start selling that. Affiliate programs are great for that. You Know Youre an Internet Marketer When... Did you make the switch from corporate slave to independent consultant? If so, you may be part of the subculture known as "The Internet Marketer's Club." Out here on the Web, things are done a little differently. Sell Your Product Online In today's business world, if you're not selling your product online, you're losing sales. If you have a product, make money online by selling online. Dont Forget B.O.B.! So you've got everything in place, busily working away for you. You've got your banners out, you've exchanged links, you've optimized your site for the search engines, you've got ad and P. Internet Marketing Online: How To Make Your Customers To Keep Coming Back To Buy From You There are a few internet marketing online secrets that when implemented, will force your customers to keep coming back to buy from you.Some of the factors that are involved in getting repeat business are: pricing, quality of products and services, excellent customer service etc. Hire An Internet Marketing Expert For Online Success It never ceases to amaze me how many otherwise intelligent people set-up a website, without any type of plan or clue about how to promote it, how to write a sales letter, how to write an ad--nothing! Fact is, nowadays, anyone can have a website. But once you get one, then what? How are you going to make money with it?If you don't know what you're doing, then do the smart thing and hire an Internet marketing expert. Solution Catalog - Getting More Out Of Your Searches The Fast And Easy Way Are you Tired of being Burned by your Internet solutions? Take advantage of a solution catalog with a difference, where your needs are thoroughly researched before they are presented, thereby providing you with trusted results.Permit me to share some beneficial experiences with you if you have the time. The New State Of The Art Method For Making Money With Joint Ventures If you are anything like me, you spend a lot of time researching joint ventures and going through the chore of analysing all the joint venture proposals you get on a daily basis in your inbox. I've often wondered if there was an easier way to find successful joint ventures, as serious marketers online all know the power of joint venture marketing. Offline Marketing for Online Home Based Businesses When it comes to marketing your web site, most home business owners use banners, link exchanges, different search engines, newsletters, forums, ezines, free and paid classifieds. However, a good home based business must also consider offline marketing strategies as well and how to use them in order to generate more business. What is Guerrilla Marketing? The history of these battles is the history of guerrilla warfare.There are similar stories in business. An Internet Marketing Solutions Company Confesses a) An internet marketing solutions company tells you that they're going to have Google index your website in 2 days?b) An Internet Marketing solutions company tells you that he can teach you to develop the best product and make millions in only 1 month in only one day?c) If you buy an expensive search engine marketing software, it will make you have high rankings on the search engines in matter of days?*Answers at bottom of page.Are you faced with these questions everyday? How do you decide what to do next? What can be the perfect internet marketing solutions for you?Any serious internet marketing solutions company will tell you that the miracle of instant richness through internet marketing just does not happen even if you have spent a fortune on them and the fault is not in these resources. Scam And Scheme Free Advertising For Your Business Web Site Since I own my own business web site and have looked for many ways to advertise cheap and for free, I have noticed how many sites there are out there that will try to get you to either join or buy advertising in one form or another. There are sites out there that will promise you the moon if you either join their "viral marketing" scheme or site that will cause your email box to become inundated with email ads from others who have fell for this. Make Extra Sales with your P.S. - Internet Marketing This "little" test I ran was in dedication of Corey Rudl. He was always big into "test test test" and then tell someone about it. The Power of Viral Marketing When I first heard of the term Viral Marketing I thought immediately of a virus. No, not the flu, a computer virus. Why Test? Marketing should be treated like a science. If you are serious about making money on the Internet, it is absolutely crucial that you spend some time testing your results and refining your approach. New Product Launch Checklist Launching a new product or service is an exciting time and it is possible to overlook something in the rush to get that product or service to market. I developed the following checklist to make certain that I didn't make the same mistake twice. The Wisdom Of Giving Away Something For Nothing If you're new to Internet Business, this might be hard to absorb. "Me? Giving away for free? I'm in business, not charity!" I heard you. The Rats Are Winning the Rat Race There was this great entrepreneur who came up with a genius idea. He went and bought eggs; lot's of eggs and paid 5 cents per egg. Is FREE Killing Your Sales? "FREE" what a great word.We all like getting something for "FREE" don't we? Especially when it's something really good that we actually need and can use. |
home | site map |
© 2006 |