Here are some of the most critical mistakes in online marketing which you can use as examples of what not to do in your Online marketing plan. I have also included easy steps to get your Online marketing plan back on the track to success.

Mistake  #1     Ineffective Site

Your Web site is a marketing document which should have a purpose in the process of selling your product or service.  Ninety-nine (99) percent of the Web sites currently on the Internet do not have an effective sales function.  Most sites are full of dazzling graphics or "eye candy" which try to wow you with the way they look, instead of offering you the information you need to make an informed decision.

Your site should be designed to either make a sale now or in the future by moving the browser towards making a purchasing decision. 

Here are four ways to make your site more effective:

• Include a powerful headline to catch the browser's eye.
• Use copy that explains the benefits of your product or service from the browser's point of view.
• Build credibility with testimonials.
• Include a "Call To Action"(for example: buy  product or request more information about the product. 

The situation on the Internet is no different.  There is an enormous amount of e-mail, banners and Web sites all competing for the browser's attention.

Most company's advertising dollars end up being wasted.So how does one advertise profitably on the Internet?  Develop mutually beneficial relationships where you simultaneously teach your potential customers about your company while learning their needs.

How do you do this?

With e-mail...

E-mail is a marketer's dream come true.  It's the Internet's "killer app."  E-mail is nearly free, it's fast and it can be sent multiple times for no increase in cost.  E-mail enables you to keep in touch with potential customers, educate them and build relationships with them. 

The most successful way to use e-mail in your marketing plan is to start a list of people to whom you would like to send your messages. This list can be used in a variety of ways including a newsletter, a discussion list for exchanging information on a certain topic, and the classic direct sales list, which you use to make sales
offers.

Or with advertising:

The primary methods of advertising on the Internet are the banner, the button, and e-mail ads.  These methods invite the browser to "click" on a banner or link that pulls up a site.  The percentage of browsers who actually "click" is usually very low. If a browser does "click", statistics show that sometimes over ninety percent (90%) "turn around" after viewing just one page of the site.

To make your advertising campaign more profitable and effective, you can use the following techniques:

• Internet advertising is a buyer's market. It is likely that you will not have to pay the full price quoted for the advertising.In many instances, the price of the advertising can be negotiated.
• As previously discussed, it is ineffective to send a browser to your site via a banner.  A more effective method is to offer the browser something in return for visiting your site.  A good example of this would be to conduct a sweepstakes or offer a free sample.  In order to enter the sweepstakes or receive the sample, the browser will have to submit name and e-mail address.  This list will enable you to educate the browser about your product or service, converting the browser to a customer.

Let's say you're in the consulting business and you want to gain more clients. Offer a free class or consultation in an advertisement, but in order to receive this "freebie" they have to sign up for your newsletter.

These two simple techniques of first negotiating a lower advertising rate, and then, educating a prospective buyer with e-mail will greatly increase the effectiveness of your advertising campaign.
 

Mistake #3     Incorrect promotion /publicity

The Internet is the greatest communications tool ever invented. It offers you an inexpensive, fast medium for transferring a large amount of information.  The Internet's technology can deliver text, sound, pictures, video, financial transactions and software.

A big mistake many companies make is not promoting properly. You have to network, promote and use publicity on the Internet, but you must be careful and respect its culture and intolerance towards blatant ads.  This is where most people get into trouble on the Internet. 

How Do You Promote Successfully?

The best way to do this is to change from an advertising frame of mind to a publicity frame of mind:

• Instead of mass promotions, seek out the best target market, or even better yet, the exact person you wish to reach.
• Instead of posting to a mailing list or newsgroup with an ad, write an article or offer free tips. 
• Instead of pitching a new product to the media, pitch a new contest, event or free offer.

Mistake #4     No follow up 

Having repeat customers is crucial to the success of any business. However, with online marketing, this obvious fact is almost always overlooked.  With so much talk about "getting hits" or "generating traffic" to a Web site, very little attention has been focused on
bringing customers back for repeat visits or purchases.  This is a big mistake.

There are many easy ways to bring people back and increase the number of purchases as well as increase your company's profits. This is called "the back end."  The "back end" is usually the most profitable asset that a company has since the expense of gaining a
customer or new visitor, "the front end", has already been spent. Following up is the key to getting those repeat visits and sales.

So how do you increase your repeat visits and back end sales?

•  Use a mailing list and follow up
• Use a Newsletter to educate your list of clients and prospects
• Have special promotions listed on your site and announced in your newsletter

Matt Hockin is Media Relations Expert with   Multimedia Marketing Group  famous for their legendary I-Sales list moderated by John Audette.

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Wanda Loskot - Success Connection
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