3 Keys to Online Marketing

Today, the most people use the Internet to research purchases and companies before they buy. It's a fact that the yellow pages have been replaced by the likes of Google. So how do you take advantage of the changing atmosphere?

1. Design a terrific website.
Your website is often the first impression a potential customer gets of your company- possibly the only impression. The way it looks and the information it presents should be clear and be focused on customer benefits.

2. Make sure you are in the search engines.
It's hard today to get in the search engines through traditional methods, but pay-per-click campaigns can be an affordable way to find yourself at the top of every Google search within a matter of days. Localized campaigns can make this one of the most cost effective marketing tools available. Newspaper ads provide a shotgun approach to advertising. You have to hope that of the hundreds of thousands of readers someone is looking for a "widget", but if you have an ad at the top of a Google search for "widgets", you know that person has searched for "widgets" and most likely wants to buy "widgets". It's sniper marketing.

3. Email campaigns, blogs, and RSS feeds.
It's been shown that your current customers are your best source for new business. So use an email newsletter or blog to keep in touch with your current customers. Let them know about new products or services you offer or new developments within your company that may benefit them. It's a low cost marketing approach that pays back tenfold.