Internet research group Netcraft reported that there are now over 100 million Web sites on the Internet. That is a far cry from the few hundred that were around when I first started using the Web in 1995.
In that time, the rules have changed. Things that used to work even a few years ago no longer work now. That's why I have decided to list these "Secrets" for successfully marketing yourself on the Internet now.
Secret 1. Friends, not strangers
Use the Internet to market to "friends" (existing clients and customers), rather than just looking to get new customers ("strangers").
Secret 2. High margin, not high volume
Create product/service bundles that have high value and high profit margins, rather than trying to sell low-margin items to lots of customers.
Secret 3. Lead with expertise, not sales
People search the Internet looking for information. Give them the information first, before you launch into your sales pitch.
Secret 4. Sell on value, not on cost
Your customers do not care how much it costs you to provide your products and services. They care about the value you provide.
Secret 5. Generate leads, not sales
It's tempting to think that you can do the entire sales process on your Web site, without any effort on your part. This is possible, but DIFFICULT. Use your Web site to generate a new lead for your business, and then take over to deal with the customer directly to make the sale.
Secret 6. Find a market niche, not a wide spread
The Web is now much more competitive than ever before. The successful Internet marketers focus on a tightly defined, highly specialized niche market rather than trying to be all things to all people.
Secret 7. Build relationships, not transactions
All the money is in the customer, not in the first sale. Foster the long-term relationship with your customers, and they will keep coming back to you for more.
Secret 8. It is still about people, not computers
Regardless of the technology, it is still about people buying from people. Make sure your Web site and e-mail marketing talk to the person sitting behind the computer.
Secret 9. Create intermediation, not transparency
There is so much information out there now that your customers are clamoring for experts to sift through it and deliver it in a way that provides meaning and value.
Secret 10. Market offline, not just online
The Internet is just another marketing tool. Do not rely on Internet marketing alone. Combine your on-line marketing with off-line marketing methods as well.
OK, thats it! If you put any of these ideas into practice, I can almost guarantee that you will make a significant improvement in your Internet marketing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
I am a Long Beach resident and run the newly ...
By: tansel | 04-07-2008
I am a Long Beach resident and run the newly launched web site PoetryVisualized.com Unfortunately I did not know about this festival. I will digg into this and try to get in touch with Fried to see if there is a base to collaborate on future projects concerning poetry. PoetryVisualized.com is a new interactive social networking site about Visual Poetry which showcases hours of famous and not so famous Poetry in form of Video, Animations, Images and Audio. Check it out it is REALLY cool! Since you wrote about the festival I was wondering if you would be interested in covering PoetryVisualized.com and the film festival "The Festival Of Visualized poetry" as a story? Pleas contact me trough the web site's contact us form. thank you up front and best regards, Tansel
Phorm illegal interception also copyright of websites visited.
By: illegal | 03-07-2008
You have a child with their own computer, this child is not the ISP account holder a webwise page pops up this child spots the name webwise and associates this with the BBC program he uses at school so clicks to allow. This child has just been allowed to alter the T&C of the ISP account while under the age of being allowed to give informed consent, The ISP now is profiling a minor without parental consent, changed the customers T&C without his verifiaction. Would this fall into invaision of privacy since the person consenting was mislead by false advertising yes Phorm selected an alreadyb known and trusted name by children used by the BBC. 1. Would this be breaking the law? 2. Why does the account holder have to verify wioth password to login or even talk to the ISP about anything but a child can change the T&C without any way to verify it is the account holder? 3. Interception of the browser is illegal so how can Phorm suceed without breaking the law? 4.Websites you visit all have copyright you can visit but are not supposed to copy, proccess for material gain this phorm will do who wil pay the website owners for breaching their copyright? 5. Why will phorm not follow the robots.txt for its own instead of googles? 6. With such as google I can delete cookies and any tracking they are doing is stopped, with phorm it is on my connection so can never turn it off 100% have tot ake the word of one person who has no reputation since he has been hijaking browsers illegally for years would you trust this knowing that?
A tide of public awareness?
By: www.mywebusage.com | 02-07-2008
you seem to be confident that these changes are only taking place on a corporate side. I fear that this assumption could be a little shortsighted. How do you propose that advertisers can counteract the rise in public awareness of advertising technologies which were previously operated "under the covers". After all how many people are prepared to stop and talk to marketing or PR enquiries on the high street? when people are given the option they invariably decide to opt-out.How can the "marketing intelligence industry" tackle this rise in "public awareness"?
Wold champion horse trainer looking for sponsor
By: Sara shalda | 02-07-2008
who can sponsor my horse show events
Help please
By: surfacing-art.com | 02-07-2008
I live in Charlotte NC and mostly do an acid stained multi-color build-up technique using Kemico and Scofield brand stains and sealer. I am not able to find any sources on the net that are for finding jobs or obtaining new clients. No one even has a subcontractor for hire relating to decorative concrete systems. How does someone like myself, fairly new to the business; find jobs??? Should I send information to interior designers, architects, or who? I am a very good artisan with a mechanical engineering background as well as fine arts in sculpture, I am just not that great at marketing and promoting due to a lack of funds. Can you help me at all with some knowledge? Jeremy Wilkinson, Innovative Color Solutions info@surfacing-art.com
Child Pornography on Craiglist
By: Marcie | 02-07-2008
Child pornography is arguably one of the worst things that enjoy the internet and the web 2.0 rage. If Craiglist insist on having a pornography section, are they in part at least responsible for perpetrating the porn trade? Are they doing enough to redeem themselves?
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