Tom Melvin

No technology has changed the world of business quite like the Internet. Even though this amazing expertise and knowledge has only been in people’s homes for less than 15 years, it has changed the way people buy cars, homes, Christmas presents, and just about everything else. Companies these days spend millions on online marketing as more and more people put away magazines, newspapers, and even television in favor of the Internet.

The Internet is a terrific technology asset and marketing tool. Nearly everyone either has a computer or at least has access to a computer on a daily basis. The audience you will be able to reach through the Internet is incredibly magnified when compared to using only traditional marketing tools. Here are a few basic starter tips for anyone looking to start or expand a business using online marketing tools.

Speed With Honesty

A recent study shows that a webpage or banner ad has less than four seconds to grab the attention of a would-be customer. You want to make sure that what the banner ad reflects is your most important selling point.  Since the attention span of Internet skimmers can be so short, the words and/or graphics you display must convey to the person how important your site, product, or service could be to them.  This means that honesty really needs to be your best policy, because if you get the potential customer directed to your site, what they find there should be legitimate and accurate in order to keep them there and returning (not to mention that Google will like you better).

Easy-To-Remember URL

It is possible to use online marketing and not have a website to direct people to, but it isn’t a good idea. Every company in the world in this day and age of highly efficient technology should have some kind of permanent web presence. The trick is finding an easy-to-remember URL after all this time. Many of the good .com addresses are taken, but the my recommendation is to stay away from the .net, .tv, org., etc. People are used to the .com addresses and will be more responsive to them.  Also, the easier your URL is to remember, spell, etc., the better off your marketing campaign will be.

Security

If you have your own products to sell online, security is a technology feature that is in especially high demand today because, unfortunately, there is always going to be some unscrupulous persons looking for a way to get something for nothing.  You don’t want your site to become one of their targets.  Advertising security, and backing up that claim, needs to be a priority for any online marketing effort.  You want your customers to feel secure. Even though most credit cards now offer complete fraud protection, it is in your best interest to trumpet just how safe your site is.  Two of the most popular security enhancements that provide reputable logos to help your clients feel safe are VeriSign and HackerSafe.  Most services that offer shopping carts for your customers also provide security options.

Follow up

If you are lucky enough to turn an interested Internet web surfer into a buyer, you need to ensure you provide excellent service and that the customer’s experience is of the highest quality you can manage. Word-of-mouth is still the best advertising you can get, and you won’t get much in the way of word-of-mouth advertising unless you have customers using your business over and over again. It is important to follow up with emails, newsletters, phone calls, etc.  Find a good autoresponder, like Aweber or I-contact, and set it up to keep in contact with your customers weekly.