7 Secrets to Internet Marketing Success

Almost every single day I have conversations with small business owners who honestly don’t know which way to turn.   What tools should they use?  How well is their website working?  Should they concentrate on email marketing? Or SEO? Or social media?  Or NOTHING?

To answer these questions…

I drew up what I consider to be my top Seven Secrets for successful internet marketing.  Implement these and you will start to see some major transformations both on and offline.

1. Remember that marketing online is still marketing.  The same old rules apply.  Make sure before you do ANYTHING online that you are crystal clear about your products and services and the true benefit they bring your customers.  Define clearly your ideal client.  (Hint: ‘everyone’ is never the right answer.) Be clear. Be specific. Meet a pressing need.

2. Make sure to walk before you run.  A simple, streamlined approach is always better than being scattered, seduced by every new shiny object.  In this ADD world of ours, less is still more.

3. To benefit fully from the power of the New Net, tap into what I call the ‘Golden Triangle’: search engine optimization, social media and email/website marketing.  Each are strong in and of themselves.  But put them together and you have a powerful package which will propel your business into another orbit.

4. SEO optimize.  In simple English, make sure that when your prospective client goes to Google and types in your market and your geographic area that it is YOUR company (not your competitors’!) that shows up on the top of the page.  Remember if you are not on the first page (or actually one of the first three); you are simply not a player.  Make sure that the website you have invested time and money in is being shown in the best light in the search engines. (Oh, and by the way, the person who designed your site is not necessarily the one who can help you get it ranked high in Google.)

5. Tap into the power of social media. Social media brings many things to the party: one-on-one contact with clients and prospects, increased traffic to your site, SEO benefits and authority.  Social media’s power grows exponentially when used alongside your SEO efforts and email marketing.

6. Go back to basics.  Email is still a powerhouse.  Put an opt-in box on the upper right hand side of every page of your website.  In exchange for their email, give away something of real value (a written report, a video, an audio tape).

Why do this?  What is the point of driving traffic to your site if you have no way of ‘capturing’ interested prospects?  And once you have these names, begin a dialogue with them through emails and/or an e-newsletter.   Without a simple opt-in box, you will have hundreds coming to your site-only to lose them forever.  Ouch.

7. The best secret I’ve kept for last.  Because if all of the above just got you more confused (or discouraged), the good news is you don’t have to do ANY of it yourself.  Find a great partner to work with you on your online marketing.  They do exist (although there are a lot of charlatans too so make sure you select wisely).  You are simply too busy and I am assuming your goal in life is not to become an online marketing expert.

Stick with what you do best.  Outsource your internet marketing to a knowledgeable expert.

Then all that’s left for you to do is concentrate on handling all the new business that will inevitably come your way.