| Given a solid product, a well-developed Web site, and | | | | Have a ”Refer a Friend” scripts and offer an |
| a carefully designed marketing strategy it’s possible | | | | incentive for your visitors to actually refer their friends. |
| to make good -- even excellent -- sales without | | | | Do what you can to get into the major search engines |
| investing any money in promotion. More detail to that | | | | and keep up on search-engine optimization, but don't |
| said, it does take a serious investment of time as well | | | | waste all your time on monitoring your rank. If you've |
| as marketing know-how. Although you may still want | | | | found your market niche, your rank will almost take |
| to invest in paid advertising, free advertising methods | | | | care of itself. Don't neglect the specialty search |
| can help keep your costs down. | | | | engines, either -- they exist for health, music, pet care, |
| Give them a reason to come | | | | and almost everything else and offer a more targeted |
| Give potential customers not only a reason to visit the | | | | audience and less competition. |
| first time, but a reason to keep coming back. Site | | | | Drop in on them |
| design marketing strategy and must work together. | | | | A useful, regularly-delivered opt-in newsletter is the |
| Whether it's simply advertising a weekly sale item or | | | | ideal way to remind you customers about your site. |
| something more involved, like inviting people to a | | | | But don't bombard them with ads or fluff --make the |
| contest in which visitors find pictures hidden within your | | | | newsletter so useful your readers want to pass it on |
| Web site to win a prize, the site and marketing should | | | | to their friends. Within the newsletters, give them a |
| complement each other .The site should be alive -- a | | | | reason to return to your site, such as a new article, a |
| product sitting quietly on a page won’t get much | | | | sale, or a quiz with the answers at the site. At some |
| attention. Provide content that's original and valuable to | | | | point send out a survey asking customers what |
| your target market – not just rehashed newswire | | | | exactly they want, either from Web sites likes yours |
| copy. Add a ”Send this page” script to your | | | | or products like yours. For even more mileage, offer to |
| articles and try to have them published (with or without | | | | swap ads or articles with other newsletters. |
| pay) on other sites whenever you can. Unique, | | | | Getting nothing for nothing |
| relevant, and regularly-updated content will both bring | | | | Not every marketing scheme works as well as its |
| you more visitors -- which will in turn improve your | | | | promoters would sometimes have you think. Generally |
| search-engine ranking -- and keep your old visitors | | | | free classifieds work only in the narrowest markets. |
| returning. Organize your site to lead visitors toward | | | | Free sites (porthole sites) at tripod and the like can |
| making a purchase, enticing them to your products | | | | work if they contain real content and with perhaps a |
| page with tempting suggestions in your one or two of | | | | different slant than your main site or are used to |
| your articles or in your sidebars. Use small banners as | | | | highlight a specific product. Bulk e-mail ad-campaigns |
| ”in-store ads” to attract to your products page | | | | are often disappointing in results and may make you |
| from, for example, your feature article page. After all, | | | | more enemies than friends. Go to this technique, while |
| even if visitors spend time at your discussion group or | | | | it still brings in buyers in some markets, is working less |
| reading your weekly column, it’s little use to you | | | | than it used to. |
| unless they buy. Keep your advertisements to a | | | | Study, study, study! |
| reasonable level, though. While ad copy should be lively | | | | Keep researching -- it may take some trial and error to |
| and seductive, trying to pass an advertorial off as | | | | find the techniques that fit your product and market. |
| unbiased information will look superficial. | | | | Given the rapid pace of Internet development, |
| Encourage word of mouth | | | | networking is usually the most efficient way to stay on |
| Viral marketing is a way to encourage word of mouth. | | | | top of advancements. There are a number of sites, |
| Offer free e-cards or a useful free e-book that people | | | | discussion groups, and newsletters devoted to Internet |
| in your market will pass on to friends. Alternatively, | | | | promotions that will help you keep up with marketing |
| selectively send out a story, tips sheet, or anything else | | | | trends and techniques and gather new ideas. If your |
| uniquely useful that will get passed around. Something | | | | business strategies are sound and your product is in |
| with your URL on it that comes from a familiar | | | | demand, you may well be able to make a solid profit |
| address has far more weight with the recipient than | | | | even without a bottomless advertising budget. |
| any email-list ad campaign from an unknown address. | | | | |