Internet Marketing Guide to Grow Your Business
A lot of people now understand the importance of growing their businesses online using internet marketing techniques. This is not surprising as people are now spending more time online than watching TV.
The recent Nielsen Online Internet and Technology Report surveyed more than 2000 Australians and found the average Aussie spent 89.2 hours a week consuming media last year or almost 80 per cent of their waking hours.
The survey of 2,000 Australians found people aged over 16 spent an average of 16.1 hours on the internet each week, 12.9 hours watching TV, 8.8 hours listening to the radio, 3.7 hours on a mobile phone and 2.8 hours reading newspapers. So if the public's main attention span is drawn to the internet, it makes sense to market there.
Benefits of Internet Marketing
Because of the targeted nature of internet advertising and the ability to track the effectiveness of ads, conversion rates from internet advertising is typically much better than traditional mediums.
As it is so focused, it only draws the attention of people that are actively searching for your product or service online, and your ads or webpages appear at the precise moment when they are in the mood for buying! What could be better than that?
But there is so much information out there! Which are the best methods and how do you start?
Internet marketing consists of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Email marketing. Once you have decided on what markets you want to penetrate with your products and services, you need to ask yourself some basic questions:
Do you want fast results (PPC), long lasting results (SEO), growing your marketable database (Email Marketing) or a combination of all of the above?
Search engine optimisation is considered the most cost effective method of attracting consumers to your site, but can take months to become effective, depending on the competitiveness of your industry. The big advantage is that the effect sticks, often months after the work has stopped.
Key Points
- Search engine marketing may involve PPC, Paid Inclusion and submission services. As more and advertisers compete in PPC bidding, the costs go up and your profit margins shrink.
- Marketing is a long-term endeavor, though a growing business might not want to wait for months to get a kick start. Even if it is more expensive in the long term, any ROI (Return on Investment) is still ROI! On the other hand, you need to realise that as soon as you stop paying, you lose that.
- Email Marketing consists of well-planned sequence of email messages that will be sent out according to intervals that are pre-set. These email messages are a mixture of sales message (20%) & valuable information (80%) to your client.
An email Marketing campaign captures visitor emails and information. It automatically collects visitor contacts for you 24 hours per day.
Imagine as time passes by, you could have 50,000 customers in your database. How useful would that be?
How can I find an Expert that is ethical and doesn't charge like a wounded bull?
This part is easy! ALWAYS ask for accreditations such as being accredited as a Google Adwords Professional, Yahoo Ambassador, Search Engine College or S.E.M.P.O. accreditation or/and association membership.
Then ask for testimonials from happy clients that have used their services. Ethical firms take care of their clients and jump at the chance to provide success stories.
DON'T take a risk on employing anyone without appropriate credentials offering cut-rate services.
Bruce Gow, Director Search Engine Guy Pty LtdGWP Magazine Issue #25, July-August 2009
Articles and any content can not be copied and/or displayed in any other applications; printed/web-based etc without the written permission of GWP Magazines.
