| If you're just starting out in internet marketing, you | | | | Need More Than Two Cans and a StringPromotion: |
| probably feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of | | | | people enter your world (the internet) via a browser. |
| information available. The learning curve is less like a hill | | | | Since "the internet" is intangible, many people confuse |
| and more like a cliff! If you've been at this business for | | | | the vehicle (AOL or Yahoo!, for example) with the |
| a while, you may be frustrated that you're still not | | | | destination itself, the internet. So let's be gentle with our |
| making any money, or not enough money. You may | | | | potential visitors and make their journey from landing |
| be wondering why no one is reading your ads, or why | | | | pad to your neighborhood as effortless, pleasant and |
| all those visitors to your site are not buying anything | | | | convenient as possible.If they are interested in buying |
| and not returning. Where do you start? How do you | | | | widgets online, they will soon realize that there are a |
| convert the casual visitor to a return customer?Relax | | | | million widget salesmen out there. So they start |
| and breathe. None of us was born an internet | | | | narrowing down their search, and they comparison |
| marketer. We all have to start someplace. A great | | | | shop. First and foremost, they are information |
| place to start is by looking at something you already | | | | gatherers. Where do they go first? Probably to a |
| DO know, offline business. We all shop somewhere. | | | | search engine. Then they start exploring. They visit a |
| Pick a store you're familiar with, maybe the grocery | | | | site; if it fits their needs, they may bookmark it before |
| store where you shop at least once a week. Pick a | | | | they move on. When they move on, they may return |
| small store to focus on, not a huge supermarket. Now | | | | to their Google or Yahoo! search results, or they may |
| pretend that's just an empty lot or building, and you're | | | | follow a link off of the page they visited.So getting |
| an aspiring grocer. What do you need to do?There's 3 | | | | yourself listed in the search engines is important. This |
| big steps you need to take. | | | | does not require your own domain name, although it's |
| | | | the best route to go, but a website where you can |
| First you have to have a crystal clear picture in your | | | | control your page content is essential. A search engine |
| mind of exactly what you want to do. What do you | | | | will not list a replicated affiliate website, such as but it |
| want to sell, and what do you want your store to look | | | | will gladly list Search engines want new, original |
| like? Spend some time dreaming, so you can see | | | | information, so write something original on your website |
| everyone who is in your store and what they are | | | | about every program you join. Link your articles, etc. to |
| buying. Your store needs four walls, a floor, doors and | | | | your web page, then link that page to your affiliate |
| windows, and a roof. You need to decide on size, the | | | | program.Your own domain name, carefully chosen, will |
| first step is to figure out what you want to sell. You | | | | help to brand either your name or your website name, |
| think about what people in your town need and buy | | | | such as etc. If you get a free website with |
| regularly, the availability of these products in other well | | | | finitesite.com, your url will be finitesite.com/wallywalton |
| established stores, and decide on your niche and your | | | | or something like that. It might be finitesite.com/member |
| location. Maybe it's bread, canned goods, cereals, | | | | wallywalton -- I forget, it's been a while since I had a |
| candy, ice cream, soda, milk, and cigarettes on a busy | | | | site with them :) With some work, you can get a site |
| corner near a residential area with no other store in | | | | with a url like this into the search engines. It's a great |
| walking distance. Maybe it's a natural food store in a | | | | way to start if you can't afford domain name, hosting |
| yuppie neighborhood. Maybe it's gas and snack foods | | | | etc.Sooner or later, your site visitor will be ready for a |
| near a highway.Secondly, you have to understand | | | | purchase. Maybe they will drive off to the nearest |
| what you need to have in place to make that dream | | | | hardware store armed with all their new information |
| come true, and how you're going to do it. What does | | | | and buy a widget there. If they found your site in the |
| your store need by way of infrastructure? You need | | | | search engine, visited and bookmarked it, maybe they'll |
| shelves, freezers and refrigerated cases, a counter | | | | return and buy from you. Maybe they'll buy from the |
| and a cash register. Probably you need a small office | | | | site they went to after your site. But 9 times out of 10, |
| and bathroom as well. You need electricity, lighting, | | | | once they've left your site, they're gone forever.And |
| heat, air conditioning, desk, chair, phone, fax, maybe | | | | Now the Quiz, Purely Common SenseHow do you get |
| some music, paint, flooring, security cameras and so | | | | them to come back? Here's a pop quiz for you, |
| on.Once you decide on the layout of the store, you will | | | | choose the best answer (it's a no-brainer):a) offering |
| know what size of a building you need to build, buy or | | | | so much valuable information, they bookmark your site |
| rent. How are you going to finance this, and how will | | | | and return on their own;b) building so much trust and |
| you afford to stock your store, from savings or from | | | | familiarity that, when they think of widgets, or of asking |
| a loan?Assuming that you now have a fully-stocked | | | | for an opinion, or for buying anything widget-like, they |
| and operational store, how will you get people to shop | | | | think of you (that's called branding your name);c) |
| there? You could advertise in newspapers, radio and | | | | promoting your website so much that, when they think |
| tv; put up signs; offer door prizes and/or sales; offer | | | | of widgets, they automatically think of your website |
| free advice and information (recipes, menus, shopping | | | | (that's also branding, the name of your site in this |
| lists, health and nutrition information, diet information); | | | | case)d) have a mailing list they can subscribe to (this |
| sponsor events (a booksigning by a famous cookbook | | | | might be the online equivalent of a guest book in a |
| author, co-sponsor a food related festival); build | | | | store) and receive updates on information on your |
| familiarity and trust by joining social, charity or business | | | | website;e) have contests on your site;f) endorse other |
| clubs, or volunteering at local events. | | | | people's sites and products, with an appropriate byline |
| | | | including your own url;g) give away things;h) hang out in |
| Fine and good, you say, but I still don't know how to | | | | places online that your potential visitors frequent |
| make money online. Let's take the example we just | | | | (forums, bulletin boards, chat rooms, conferences, |
| developed and convert it to online business.Gazing Into | | | | seminars) and make friends, give away free |
| Your Crystal BallFirst the concept. What do YOU | | | | information and helpful links and tools, include your url in |
| want to do? What do the people that frequent the | | | | your signature where allowed;i) blogging and using RSS |
| internet want? First and foremost, right behind email, | | | | feeds to keep people thinking of you and your |
| people online are looking for information. There are | | | | widgets;j) being a part of the search engine revolution |
| places online you can go to research hot topics, such | | | | and exploring the world of tagging, or social |
| as Overture's Keyword Selector Tool. Here you can | | | | bookmarks (creating your own search engine with |
| see how many times a word or phrase was searched | | | | other like-minded anarchists :)k) all of the above.Each |
| in the last month. You can do a Google search for | | | | of these concept, infrastructure, and promotion ideas |
| these terms to see how many websites are already | | | | could be an article in its own right; but this is your basic |
| available sharing that information. As you keep | | | | outline for building your online business. The ultimate |
| narrowing down your focus, balance between your | | | | power of the internet is to level the playing field for |
| passion, what other people want, and what's already | | | | both major corporations, little ol' you, and everyone in |
| available. A very small niche with very little competition | | | | between. A business that fully utilizes the internet can |
| with targeted promotions can become a very lucrative | | | | throw away the purchased leads list, because cold |
| business.Your Shopping ListNow the infrastructure, the | | | | calling and cold emailing is a thing of the past. Using the |
| Short List:a) internet real estate = a website. This can | | | | internet to its fullest business potential means putting |
| be an affiliate site or your own. You can get a free | | | | your message where your potential customers can |
| website with no outside advertising here: products: No | | | | find it, and letting them come emailing, looking and calling |
| matter what your interests, there's an affiliate program | | | | for you.Be sure to take advantage of the unique |
| with products that fit; you may want to sell related | | | | power of the internet, and keep the "internet" in your |
| ebooks, books, etc. Clickbank is a good place to find | | | | internet marketing.Kathryn Beach has been building |
| electronic information products.c) tools: you will need a | | | | websites and businesses online since 1998. She shares |
| tracking system (known as a link tracker); an | | | | knowledge from personal experience, about getting |
| autoresponder; a link rotator.d) knowledge: you will | | | | started in affiliate marketing on her website, Affiliate |
| need a splash page program and/or some basic html | | | | Marketing Tips To receive her newsletter visit and fill |
| and advertising knowledge. A free html tutorial: an | | | | out the online subscription form. |
| expense budget, no matter how small at first.You | | | | |