Internet Marketing is basically the use of the internet and world wide web as the ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION VEHICLE through which goods and services are offered. The numbers of people buying and selling goods online is increasing exponentially as well as the numbers of products and services being offered.
How does it work?
Most people are familiar with actually buying things online. Others use the internet as a place to start their search for certain product reviews, entertainment schedules, local business and services. They then complete the purchase in person, usually locally..
There are many different types of online marketing besides those mentioned above. Although when you are a buyer, you see the public website pages; where you sign up for a newsletter, choose a product from a website, or put your Credit Card information in to actually make the purchase, there are many things happening behind the scenes.
Have you ever wondered about how all that works? In other words, how is the payment page from PayPal connected to the company from which you’re purchasing? How does your email address trigger a welcome email when you sign up for a newsletter? How do websites get built? How are images and texts added… or how are hyper-links created? And what in the world is html and should you care? More pieces.
The mechanics are quite interesting actually, and in knowing the answers to those kinds of questions, you will be able to build the same sorts of automatic marketing machines that successful companies have.
The internet is really the great equalizer of businesses. You can run a successful operation from anywhere as long as you have your computer and a connection. Your spare bedroom or kitchen table company can compete directly with larger companies housed in more traditional locations. It doesn’t matter where you are, as long as you have your online business presence set up to make it easy for people to find you when they are searching for what you’ve got. and then to have your website or blog be easy to navigate and understand.
Finding buyers for your product or service known as “driving traffic” to your online business is the way that your business grows. But it’s far more than that. Think about what you’re looking for when you are making a buying decision.
- Can you trust this site and the person behind it?
- Is this product service going to perform?
- Is there any sort of money-back guarantee?
- Are there any testimonials?
- What are other people saying who have used this service?
- Are there other similar products or services this website/person offers?
- Is there a newsletter connected with giving more up to date information on this subject?
- Will I be taken care of long term?
- What value am I really receiving?
- Is this another scam?
It’s that famous WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?) question that we all have before we pull that credit card out.
Here are some different types of marketing you can choose from. Many people use several of them over time. It is strongly recommended that you choose one – possibly two that you can dovetail together and learn them well before incorporating more. First of all, one has to choose something to market; a product, service, combination, or whatever. You do have to market something in order to have any type of business and the ways to bring products to the market-place are many. Here are a few:
- Article marketing
- Classified advertising
- Keyword choice
- Digital marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Blogging
- Affiliate Marketing
- Product Development
- Membership Sites
- Joint Ventures (JV)
- Review Sites
- Niche Marketing
- Pay per click (PPC)
- Pay per action
- Social media optimization
- Web banners
- Creating Backlinks
- Incorporating mailings – both email and the US Postal Service
- Auction sites
- Public Domain information
The most important things to realize when you’re looking to learn HOW to market online is that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Secondly, how and what you think about is really important. Focused and positive expectations really do make a difference in your results. Find ways to offer VALUE to the people who are wanting what you’re offering. Give eBooks, audios, or other Free benefits that relate to what people are seeking. This is a way to sincerely thank people for trusting you with their email address. Basically, set up your business to treat those who will be associating with you the same way you’d like to be treated.
The “how to” is really not as difficult as some people make it, per se, but it does take work – there are many different pieces to fit together, much like a jigsaw puzzle. When they all are configured step-by-step and they all work, then people can follow your directions to receive gifts or products by clicking on the links you’ve set up on webpages as well as their email. In addition, you can track how many visitors you have and where they came from. Each skill may take a bit of time to master, but you really only have to master it once.
What type of marketing would be best to sell your stuff? Learn a bit about a few of them. Research both the terms and “gurus” who come up when you’re searching. You’ll soon see that there are quite a few “gurus’ or “mentors” who claim they are the only help you need. Be careful. Many claim that you should be able to start making money very quickly. Perhaps as quickly as a couple of hours or a few days.
Unless you already have a grasp of what is REALLY involved in setting up this business, you could find yourself more frustrated and start believing that something is wrong with YOU if you’re not able to create results quickly. Remember, this is a real business and there is a learning curve that will take as long as it takes to master. Many people get very discouraged because they have been set up to expect this to be a get rich quick vehicle. What’s more likely is that the harder (and smarter) one works, the luckier they get.
The cost for creating an internet business can vary, but on the whole is extremely modest. Some of these expenses will be explored in a later article as well as other pieces and how they all fit together.
This business is great for those who like to work from their home. It is very good for those who don’t want to be involved with Multi-Level-Marketing or network marketing. There is no building a downline or being tied to a company where that may or may not be around in a few years. Your choices of products to market is just limited by your imagination.
I’ll be writing about specifics of some of the pieces in my next article. I would like to know what your experience has been with this online marketing, if you have tried it. I’ll try and answer your questions as quickly as I can.
(Please note that just like with every self-employed business, results are not guaranteed and will vary.)
