Top Ten Online Marketing Strategies, Part Two: Physical Word of Mouth

In a previous article “Top 10 Strategies to Marketing Online” ten separate ways were listed to create buzz for a business or product, but what wasn't detailed were the intricacies of each strategy. These marketing paths entail much more than what one could put into just a few short sentences, and it is of the utmost importance to provide everyone reading with every useful bit of knowledge that can possibly be bestowed. Each marketing tactic in “Top 10 Strategies to Marketing Online” has its own specific blueprint to success, with 'Word of Mouth' seeming the most straight forward. This is not the whole truth. Sure, someone can inform another of something, but they cannot be forced to tell people. What can be done is to encourage them to inform others of a mind-blowing business or product they just heard about. The problem then is transforming a person from being an interested loved one into a conduit through which beneficial Word of Mouth can flow.

Far too often even the most intelligent entrepreneur assumes their friends and family will increase the potential profitability of their business venture just by being friends and family. While these folks are essential, they are generally not going to take an interest in a business and assist in making dreams come true if they are approached completely passively. It will take a little work, but these loved ones can become a Word of Mouth Base, or 'WoMB'. It is inside this WoMB that a business will grow and thrive in its infancy. The WoMB will initially be just the creator of the business or the inventor of the product. As this business idea begins to grow and take shape, so must its WoMB. Think of a WoMB like a network. It starts with the focal point, the initiator of the business or the originator of the product, and it spreads outward like a web. This web connects to everyone the owner of the business knows, from any co-workers, to immediate family,to extended family, to friends, to class mates. Each of these connections would then connect to their own personal WoMB, their web of contacts. Take for example, friends. Each friend has a plethora of potential conduits, in that they all have their own co-workers, family, etc. It sounds enticing, but unfortunately it takes a bit of work to change a potential conduit into a spigot of favorable Word of Mouth.

Converting a natural circuitry of acquaintances into a valuable WoMB requires much less guile and tact than it appears. It is not necessary or recommended that manipulation be employed to produce a profitable market base from friends and loved ones. In most cases a simple network of connections can be revamped into a WoMB easily by communicating the main idea to those in the first tier of connections in a network. It is imperative that those in the WoMB don't feel like they are being sold something, but that an enticing new idea is being presented and that they would be doing a service to anyone they tell by informing them of it. This way a businessperson is not asking for favors, but helping others. It is this minor shift of ideal that allows for Word of Mouth to spread like wildfire. Customarily people like to feel like they have done a good thing. Presenting a business in such a way that it is a great, helpful thing allows a WoMB to expound on that feeling. This creates a central goodness to a business that allows it to succeed in a harsh world.

Unfortunately, Word of Mouth can be a hazard as well as a boon. If the product is incomplete or poor quality then a WoMB will be unlikely to form. Without a healthy WoMB full of people backing your product, no other marketing strategy will help you. If the product does not fill a need or if it is unnecessary then it will be impossible to market successfully. There are situations, however; where a great product can be labeled poor by disgruntled customers and/or toxic people. These individuals are a cancer on an otherwise healthy WoMB, and without direct action they can destroy everything they come into contact with. Dealing with these customers is tricky. It is possible, albeit unlikely; that they cannot be reasoned with, and that they simply are curmudgeons and refuse to respond positively to any effort made. More commonly there will have been a mix up or miscommunication somewhere along the line where they felt they were promised something they were not given. If this situation can be remedied, it should be done as quickly as possible, turning that person into a benign conduit of healthy Word of Mouth. Remember, if the person feels they were wronged, they were wronged. There is no arguing with an angry person. Putting someone on the defensive walls them off. Admit fault and they will open up, allowing for them to become a potential customer, rather than a problem.

Without productive Word of Mouth, all business ventures are destined to fail. If there is no way to create the seeds of a WoMB for a business, it is most likely unwise to pursue it. Taking a risk is tantamount to taking a leap of faith. If there is no faith, DON'T LEAP. There is little reason to fear a potential success, but it is unwise to dive headlong into a pursuit that is has virtually zero chance of succeeding. If it does not feel right to present a product as a good thing, it isn't one. Such a product will receive counter-productive Word of Mouth. When that is the case, look for a new idea. Everyone deserves success, but to achieve it requires a strong foundation. Do not allow it to be torn down before it begins. A businessperson must be sure of their idea before they can spread Word of Mouth. However, once they are sure, they must do all in their power to succeed.

Keywords: Internet marketing, online marketing, strategies, advertising, website, word of mouth, online marketing

Deena McMahon is an author and entrepreneur for Americas Media Specialist, a continuing education and business development company showing people how to build business success. Get No Obligation Free Tips and Training at http://www.americasmediaspecialist.com. Find out if you qualify to be trained in having your own business at 1-800-719-8268 extension 34978.

Top Ten Online Marketing Strategies, Part One: Creating an Attractive Website

The first step to Internet marketing is the creation of your website. This will be your base of operations for all of your online marketing. From your website you will attain your name recognition, your database of customers for email marketing, and your advertisement revenue. Your website can be geared for e-commerce, a showcase for product, or an online service. These are the most successful internet ventures.

Initially, while your website is still in the idea stage, you must decide exactly what your website will do for you. While it is true that the first outline of most websites will be similar, the steps taken to customize your website must mirror the steps you took when designing your business plan. Better still, if you can create a plan for your website/online marketing concurrently with the plan for you business you are putting yourself in a prime position to succeed.

If you decide to gear your website for online purchases of your physical product then you will need to both showcase your product and provide a means to purchase directly from your website. Personally I suggest creating a separate bank account for any business transactions, regardless the size of your current enterprise. Once that is taken care of you must create your e-commerce system. Here are some easy steps to setting up your e-commerce system.

STEP 1: Identify Your Products

You will have to determine what you are going to sell online. The more products you have, the more your shopping cart will cost. You may only have one item, you may want to sell hundreds of items, or you may only wish to place your best selling items online.

STEP 2: Organize Your Products

If applicable, you should group your products into logical categories so customers can easily find what they are looking for. For example, if you were selling music you may wish to group titles in the following groups: country, rock, rap, pop, classical and jazz.

STEP 3: Photograph Your Products

The most effective way to share your products with clients is through pictures. If you want to sell, you'll need a digital image (preferably .jpg, .gif or .tif) of each product. If your photographs are sharp and clear, your website will look professional and customers will want to buy from you.

STEP 4: Receive Payment

You will need to decide how you wish to accept payment from customers. I suggest using pay pal, as it is the easiest to set up, and it does not require a fancy shopping cart program (which is usually pricey).

PayPal:
Sign up for Paypal Account

STEP 5: Ship Your Product
Unless you have a special preference, the cheapest shipping is going to be the united states postal service. They just released a new “Flat-rate box” promotion, which allows you to ship anywhere in the US for one price, which is very useful for the online business. All the USPS information on Flat rate boxes (Or other methods) can be found here:

http://www.usps.com/shipping/prioritymail.htm . Don't forget to include the shipping price into the pricing of your products.

When creating a website solely to showcase your product (This is usually reserved for things difficult to ship. For example: Real estate, Vehicle sales, basically any large big ticket items are included) the aesthetics of your website are your main concern. The appearance of your website should always be on your mind, but it will come directly to the forefront if you are trying to publicize your product. In this type of website your advertisements are going to have to be extremely calculated. Trading banner ads (Which will be discussed at length later in this series) will become important to bring motivated potential customers to your website. Your main goal in this type of website is to get your customers to contact you, so it is a great idea to post a bold link that states “CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION” in big bright shiny letters. While I am generally against it, this type of website can and is often expected to be flashy. Now, I don't suggest that you use cliché flashing pop-ups, but know what you're good at and over emphasize that point. For example, if you sell homes have the text of your heading bulge angularly in the center to create the semblance of a roof. Don't forget that flashy and busy are not the same thing. If your website is painful to look at or difficult to navigate you are going to drive away your customers in droves. While this is sage advice for any website it is doubly so for a showcase website. Making your product difficult to find will not do you any favors when trying to sell it!

An online service website can be many different things, from a blog to a multi-level marketing venture to a social networking website (Like Facebook). The creation of this style of website can be tricky. Your website will need suitable explanation, and more importantly publicity. Your online service can either be free or have a cover charge, but do not assume that because you offer your service for free that you will make less money. Just the word “Free” will increase your 'traffic' immensely, which will allow you to increase your ad revenue comparatively. Most commonly your advertisements will be your largest source of income for your online service website.

Your next step, now that you know what your website will be is going through the construction process. You have several choices when you are building your site. Typically business owners will contract both of the construction and maintenance to a web design company, but that is NOT the only option available to you. Taking a course and building your own website is a viable (and financially cheap) option. A third option is to hire a content management website company, and have them build your website. A content management website is a streamlined website with an easy to edit interface, which allows you to forgo the individual costs of each edit you may want to make to your spiffy new website. All of these methods are simple enough to put into motion, and if you follow these easy steps you will be well on your way.

Steps to Hiring a Web Design Company* :

● Produce a written plan of your website ideas.
● Get estimates from as many companies as you deem necessary (at least three).
● Make sure the cost per hour for website changes/edits are included in the estimate.
● Choose your company weighing both the quality of their previous work and cost.

Steps to Learning HTML & CSS to Create Your Own Website:

● Check into any local colleges for web design classes that fit into your schedule and budget.
OR
● Look online for free tutorials in the subjects your future website dictates you learn.
● Learn Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for optimum website design.
● Pay yourself. Keep track of your hours spent learning and working as if you were being paid whatever you believe you're worth, and if it becomes more expensive to pay yourself than it would cost to hire either a content management website company or a standard web design company it may be time to re-think your strategy.
● Remember to include the potential labor cost of future website edits.

FINAL STEP

● Put your brand new website to good use and START BEING SUCCESFUL.


*= These steps are the same for a content management website or a website from a standard web design company, with the exception of a higher monthly hosting cost for a content management site due to the easy to edit interface usually driving up the monthly price.

Internet Marketing and Business: Creating the Best Team

Successful teamwork, regardless of your business, requires building trust within each one on one relationship.

1. Ensure everyone on the team understands the overall purpose, goals and values of your team. Not only should they clearly understand and support you team mandate they should agree on the approach to achieve them.
2. Establish and communicate clear team procedures.
3. Make sure your team members possess, or have access to, the skills necessary to complete your teams’ objectives by offering the best training.
4. Establish and maintain a team code of conduct with your team members in order to set behavioral norms and encourage healthy and successful relationships among the team.
5. Create an on-going team gathering, meeting, or team building to establish individual goals, set roles and responsibilities, offer tools and techniques to resolve issues and to encourage team members to be accountable.
6. Continually improve the team by demonstrating trust, respect and support for all team members.
7. Communicating openly and often about all issue, whether positive or negative is also key.
8. Keep all commitments to one another and take all commitments seriously whether it’s to return a phone call or attend a meeting. Your commitment is your bond.
9. Edify one another and do not disclose team concerns or shared information outside the team.
10. Distinguish between what requires a decision versus what is only an information exchange.
11. Preview agendas and information by emailing them out prior to actual event that so attendees have time to consider topics and prepare any questions to share.

Deena McMahon is an author and entrepreneur for America’s Premier Certified Media Placement Specialist, a continuing education and business development company showing people how to build business success. Get No Obligation Free Tips and Training at http://www.americasmediaspecialist.com/. Find out if you qualify to be trained in having your own business at 1-800-719-8268 extension 34978.

Top 10 Strategies to Marketing Online

When starting an online or web-based business, it is integral to any plan to advertise in any way possible. The trick is, how do you do it? I have scoured the internet, learning the best ways to market your business on the web and with the knowledge gained I provide you with my Top 10 Strategies to Marketing Online:

1. Creating an Attractive Website

• 
  Regardless of how many people you can get to visit your website, it won't matter if they cannot bear the thought of looking at it for more than two seconds. Make sure your website doesn't turn people off right away. This includes eliminating the unnecessary elements of your site, creating an easy to navigate page, and inspiring return visits. If someone wouldn't want to come back to your site, they most likely won't buy anything or point anyone else in your direction. Without an attractive website, the rest of the strategies provided here won't do you much good.

2. Word of Mouth

• Obviously, this method comes first because it is not relegated to the Internet, but provides the means and suddenly customers who enjoy your product are working for you. Offer referral coupons and you are off to the races. Any person who receives information on a product from a trusted friend is infinitely more likely to follow up on it than something they were to be sent by you or another unknown source. Take that to the next level, and have YOUR friends market for you. Networking online is incredibly important. If you have a solid base of “friendly” websites linking to your site (This is generally easy to do if you offer the same service for them) you will create more traffic to your website than any other method.

3. E-mail Marketing

• Email marketing usually done in one of three ways: 1) emailing current customers to encourage loyalty and repeat business by the way of repeat customer coupon, or member coupons. 2) Sending emails with the intent of gaining new customers with direct emails. This method requires gaining lists of email addresses which can be tricky to get. Generally the least effective of all email methods due to spam filters. 3) Adding advertisements to other businesses emails. This method would require spending some money to get businesses to let you do this, but if you create it correctly it can either appear to be sponsored by the business the customer is (Hopefully) familiar with, or you can use the space to create the best banner ad possible, which would gain the attention of the person emailed and link them back to you.

4. Search Engine Optimization

• This method of advertisement is probably the sneakiest kind, because it doesn't appear to your customer that you did anything to create the effect. Search engines use crawlers to find web pages for their algorithmic searches. These crawlers index specific pages on your website, but please note that if you have a blog, or a website attached to another site(Such as this blog, as it's attached to BlogSpot), it's unlikely you're going to get ANY traffic without submitting your site directly to the search engines. For sites like yahoo, this can be a pricey endeavor without much gain, but it does allow you to select which keywords bring up your website.

5. Banner Ads

• This type of marketing covers web banners, animated gifs or static images that wouldn't be described as a “banner” such as the rectangular ads often seen on MySpace and online newspaper articles, and “Pop-Up” advertisements. These ads are mildly effective, and are usually rather costly. You're looking at a cost to create the advertisement, and a cost to run the ad on someone else’s website unless you can get a “Banner swap” deal. A banner swap deal would allow you run an advertisement for someone else while they do the same for you, at no cost to one another (Other than the space on your website). The space on your website is a resource in this sense, because it cuts down the available area on the screen at any one time for text. Banner ads can either run at the top or bottom of a page, or along the sides. The ads along the side can either be static, in that they don't move when you scroll down the page (Often revealing more ads), or they can be constant, scrolling down the page with the visitor. Usually, if you are going to run these ads they should announce to the world how great your product is. Often I see the mistake of people using a banner ad saying “Visit http://momsinternetmarketingandlifetips.blogspot.com/!” or whatever your site may be, rather than showing people what they will get if they DO visit. You want people coming to your site to buy your product (or read your blog) not just too idly travel to your website to quell their boredom. It is important your ads are proactive in this sense.

6. Social Networking

• Websites such as Facebook, Myspace, and most recently Twitter have begun to allow everyone to get in touch with everyone they know and provide them with updates on their daily lives. Why can't you use this to increase business? You can do it both on your personal facebook or twitter, and more importantly on one set up specifically for your business. With a network of past and future customers, it can be instrumental in keeping your former customers informed and spreading that knowledge on to future customers.

7. Create a Newsletter

• By creating a newsletter you are allowing customers who want to keep up with new developments on your website and new products you produce informed. This optional service is a strong base of customers for future products, because nearly all who sign up to be informed of products to be developed will likely at least check out anything new you create. You can also use these dedicated customers as a strong base to bounce ideas off of, which would allow for cheap feedback on ideas.

8. Online Press Releases

• Using an inexpensive service to get the word out is never a bad idea. This ranks below a newsletter because it doesn't have the personal touch that allows it to reach customers from a trusted source, and it costs more than just your time. These releases are often about 20 dollars and get the word out to thousands at a time. Release an article on your product (make sure it’s favorable) and watch the results. Be sure there is a link back to your website on the article.

9. Pay-per-click Advertising.

• Pay per click advertising is very similar to search engine optimization, except that it costs you a set amount per click on the link you are providing. The price usually varies depending on the keywords you use (for example: hotel is a very expensive one) and could cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars a month for no guaranteed sales. I generally don't recommend this method, but it could feasibly create sales for your website. Those possible sales push Pay-per-click ads just above pop ups on this list.

10. Pop Up Ads

• Marketing via pop-ups is becoming a gamble. With pop-up blockers reigning supreme in the web browser wars, it is generally unwise to spend a lot of time, effort, or funds on pop ups. Most of the time they are either quickly closed by those proficient with the internet, or they are blocked by specialized pop up blockers. That being said, the better ads can produce some motivated traffic and that alone warrants the last spot on my countdown. In all, I don't think they can produce enough for their cost in this new internet, and are a dinosaur of the infancy of the World Wide Web.

Deena McMahon is an author and entrepreneur for America’s Premier Certified Media Placement Specialist, a continuing education and business development company showing people how to build business success. Get No Obligation Free Tips and Training at http://mywebcashstore.com/mcmahon7149.
Find out if you qualify to be trained in having your own business at 1-800-719-8268 extension 34978.

Building Better Customer Service, 7-Ways to Build Trust and Increase Business

Everything from an outstanding relationship with a customer to a long lasting marriage is built on trust. Trust affects confidence in how sure we feel, our ability to approach other people or things, and our integrity and interpretation of other’s integrity (whether consciously aware of it or not). It affects who we’ll do business with, who we’ll befriend, and who we’ll listen to and go the extra mile for.

When trust levels are high we tend to be more productive and relaxed open to insights and learning. When trust levels are low, we are on guard and uncomfortable—not open to learning or insights.How can you build trust in your life? Here are some tips to help you out.

1.) Be a confidential agent - Become a trustworthy listener and confident by keeping private matters private. If something is told to you in confidence show trust by keeping it secret.

2.) Display trust in others – Note that those individuals that are different or hold a differing opinion or belief can be trustworthy themselves. Be aware of discrimination or distinction in your preferences to ensure that is not keeping you from trusting those who are different than you. Don’t use inclusive language that’s presumptuous of others distinctions or preferences.

3.) Learn to read trustworthy people – Unfortunately not everyone can be trusted. There is a definite balancing act between trusting too much and not trusting enough. Be careful of blindly trusting someone but do enjoy an honest confidence in another person or thing. Rely on your gut instinct—hone it!!

4.) Forgive and Forget – Stop being angry with others and cancel out the negative energy that is coming from you. It’s amazing how resentment against someone else can keep you from succeeding in all areas of your life.

5.) Keep your promises – When you make a promise of something to somebody and follow through on those commitments your friends and customers will know you care about them, are reliable, and can be counted on in the future.

6.) Be truthful – Communicate honestly and with integrity in all your dealings. Like the Bible says in John 8:32, “And you will know the Truth Shall, and the truth will make you free.” Honesty really is the best policy and makes you more sincere and genuine which is felt by others.

7.) Be a good listener – Make a conscious effort to really hear what others are saying, asking for, and want. Paying close attention to others is one of the biggest success principles.

Deena McMahon is an author and entrepreneur for America’s Premier Certified Media Placement Specialist, a continuing education and business development company showing people how to build business success. Get No Obligation Free Tips and Training at http://mywebcashstore.com/mcmahon7149. Find out if you qualify to be trained in having your own business at 1-800-719-8268 extension 34978.

Home Business Tips - How's My Time? Am I Using it Wisely?

Prioritizing your time is a skill that is critical to success and unfortunately one that most people are not taught.

I remember a time in high school where everyone was cleaning their locker at the end of the day. I decided that it would be more effective to put my boots on then instead of cleaning around them and having to take even more time later. My teacher thought I was being insolent and I got into big trouble. I did not get the opportunity to explain that I was, in my mind, using my time more effectively and she obviously did not see my point of view.

Each and every one of us has 86,400 seconds in a day, how you chose to invest your seconds will result in the actions that take your business to the next level, or not.

It is not about letting go or delegating tasks it is more about holding on to your focused productive, product creation time. Personally I know that my most creative idea time is in the morning. Therefore I invest my morning time in tasks that require that skill rather than the mundane routine tasks that I can do with my eyes closed. I save those task for later in the day when I am not at my most creative.

I can hear you asking yourself "How Do I Start?"...

1) Belief structure, know that you can invest your time for your best advantage. How you invest your time is simply a habit and like all other habits it can be changed

2) Model to follow, find the model that works for you. I found the model for investing my time with article writing on Twitter. I have a great model that I tweek and modify it to suit my needs; to make it work the best for my business. You can do the same.

3) Position yourself to be able to take best advantage of your own time. Prepare in advance for events and times that you know are going to be critical. Do as much as you can in advance so that when the rush comes you can get everything done with a minimum of stress.
We all come to a fork in the road many times in our lives. What decisions are you making? In order to achieve success in your own home business you must be willing to do the things others will not do. I wrote this article on the rapid transit train surrounded by people who were all reading the negative news. Instead of filling your brain and heart with negative news during your commuting time you could be learning something new. Preparing yourself with a new skill so that when your job or business change you can change right along with it. The alternative could be no job or business.

Investing your time in YOU will pay off big time!

Now, I would like to invite you to get your Free Instant Access to the first chapter of my current eBook titled "How To Fire Your Boss and Have Him Hate to See You Go". Go To http://www.retirewithcarla.com/freechapter.htm
Brought to you by Carla McNeil - International Champion Recruiter - Business Builder
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carla_McNeil

Media Placement: The Untold Story Behind ALL Major Breakthrough Business Successes

Success in business is a rare thing. Most businesses fail today, not because they were built upon bad ideas, but because most business owners do not focus on what truly makes the difference between success and failure.

There is one skill, above and beyond any other skill, that is critical to your success in business. If you do not learn to adapt this skill, your business idea will probably either fail or not reach your intended level of success like ninety-eight percent of all start up businesses in the world today.
It does not matter whether you are running a restaurant, a retail store, an Internet business, or a h@me-based business; the necessity is still the same. This one skill is the biggest reason for success and failure in business.

Oprah knows the secret; so does Time Warner, Ted Tuner, McDonald's, Google, and Bill Gates. I could go on and on. They know the secret. Do you?

What is the secret?

It is the art and science of "Media Placement." This one skill reaps more rewards than any other aspect of business. You want to become a "Media Placement Specialist."
You might ask, "What is a 'Media Placement Specialist?'" Well, first of all, this is not about getting a certification to put on your resume to get a job. It is how to specialize in the skill of placing media to promote your business. It is also bigger than "traditional marketing."
When someone masters the art and science of placing media, they start to control the game. If they master many areas, they are what many experts call a "media mogul." A "media mogul" controls different forms of media and, ultimately, marketing.

Oprah Winfrey is a great example. She is self-made. She is a self-made billionaire media mogul. Oprah is now the owner of Harpo Productions, has her own TV show, had a radio show, and does print media and Internet marketing.

When you master the art and science of media placement, the idea is simple. Start small, and find one or two methods of media placement that work for you. You could start by trying Internet media placement, direct mail, pay-per-click, co-registration, or articles. The idea is to find a couple of means, start them working for you, and then you can grow your business and expand the types and amounts of media you use.

Today, Internet marketing is one of many media placement strategies you could use. It could be the single fastest, least expensive, low-risk type of media available today if you take the time to learn some of the secrets. Once you do your testing on the Internet, it makes it easy to expand into other types of media quickly.

There are many resources you can find that are available to learn the art of marketing, but there are very resources that teach the mastery of media placement. Take the time to learn it. It could become the best investment you have ever made.

Mary Gersten is the V.P. of Operations for Global Cashflow Network, Inc., a continuing education and business development company best known for their industry changing 'Certified Media Placement Specialist (CMPs)' program. Free Tips And Training http://www.MaryGersten-thetruth.com . Find out if you qualify to be trained as a CMPs at http://www.BecomeACMPS.com.
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