Home based businesses generally rely on Internet exposure for the success of their business. The Internet provides a world-wide audience of potential customers, but reaching them is the trick. For those that are experienced, and those that are not, the following “Super” list has been compiled to show you the many ways that you can market your website and products to attract that world-wide audience.
The “Super” List
- Write articles about your product or service and post them to many different directories. There is not a set directory that everyone uses, so the more places you post, the better.
- Write press releases. As soon as you open your business, and anytime you make a change to your site, send out press releases announcing the change. Business professionals use these sites quite regularly.
- Create an RSS feed for your site and make sure regular news goes out on the feed
- Create an opt-in only newsletter that guarantees recipients coupons or special pricing
- Make sure your website has the right keyword content for search rankings (SEO)
- Create a video about your product and post to video sites as well as your web page
- Rewrite your sales copy every so often so your pages seem fresh and return visitors have a reason to re-read the information
- Offer a “How-To” tutorial via podcast
- Blog about your product or service
- Guest blog
- Create an email signature with a link to your site. This also increases back links to your site and increases your search rankings
- Provide “online only” discounts
- Run “online only” contests
- Offer free downloadable eBooks from your site that are relevant to your product or service
- Monetize your site with advertisements and affiliate links
- Create your own affiliate marketing program
- Offer clients a free item when their purchase exceeds a specific amount.
- Offer free shipping on certain items if it is not too damaging to your profits
- Build a snail-mail database and send out postcards to your clients as a way to remind them of your service
- Provide a bonus to customers that make referrals, increase that bonus if the referral makes a purchase
- Make a weekly or monthly contest on your site
- Print business cards with your site information and make sure that you leave them everywhere you go during the day. This includes in public restrooms and on tables with your tip.
- Stuff a business card in every envelope you send out that contains a bill.
- Set up at local fairs and community events and distribute information about your business or service.
- Make sure that you accept credit cards and Paypal as a form of payment on your site.
- Have a “bookmark this page” tab on your site
- Make sure that you move any “Call To Action” above the fold on your web page. This means that any “Order Now” buttons should be near the top of your page and not rely on someone having to scroll down to find how to order
- Create a social page for your website and make sure that you interact on the page
- Join social groups that relate to your product or service
- Join offline business organizations that allow you to network
- Volunteer your time for a non-profit group under the name of your business
- Use your business to sponsor local charity or school events
- Use pay-per-click programs to generate more traffic
- Make sure that the search engines can find your site by manually submitting your information to the major search engines
- Create a banner ad campaign
The most important thing that you should take away from this list is that there are countless ways of getting the message out about your business and creating repeat customers. All you must do is dedicate the time each day to make this happen.
Marketing your business is not something that you can do once and leave alone. Marketing is something that must be done every day and in a dedicated manner.
Ways to advertise on the Internet change quickly. It is very important that you monitor the success of each of your marketing strategies, but that you stay informed about any new advertising methods that may evolve. Do not waste your time on methods that do not generate a great response, and devote more time to methods that are converting to sales.
Anyone can be a success on the Internet if they are willing to take the time to market their business.
