Net Marketing Tips Part 1

I know you're interested in learning the fundamentals of Internet marketing, as well as the little known secrets and tips. In the upcoming email series we'll discuss the important fundamental tips that you have to master and we'll also look at some strategies that are quite advanced :)

A quick note on my writing style: I'm guessing that you have read enough textbooks in your life to be thoroughly bored by text-perfect-punctuation-and-syntax. I have written these courses as if I was merely chatting to you. I hope you will be able to learn more in this way than if I only gave 14 point paragraphs with impressive headings like "Formulating Marketing Strategies to ensure Quality Management in your Operation Processes" (See? Did you know what the heck I was on about there?) So please enjoy - we often forget that having fun is one of the main points of this life we are living :)

So let's start shall we?

Lesson #1: The NUMBER ONE PRIORITY for anyone wanting to make money off the Internet

Are you ready for it: Your priority is: You need an EFFECTIVE SALES WEBSITE.

Now I know this seems so obvious that you are already reaching for your mouse so you can unsubscribe from this training series but before you do please read on:

Your website is your business on the Internet! No matter what brilliant Marketing strategies you use to get visitors to your site your website is ultimately the key to your success.

Let's say you get 100 000 visitors to your site this September but you get only one of these visitors to buy. Was September a successful month? Of-course not. Based purely on number of visitors to your site you were very successful - But if all you have to show for it is one miserable sale then what was the point?

You need to make sure your website works!

You can improve your visitors to sales ratio dramatically by ensuring that your website is Effective. How do you do this? By applying the following rules to your website:

1. Make sure your Site is fast loading! You know how frustrating it is to wait for a website that takes an age to open - if your site takes too long to open then your visitors has left before you can dazzle him with your product.
   
   Your Action Plan to a fast loading site:
   - Host your website with a Reputable Web Hosting company
   - Keep your images as small (file size) as possible
   - Reduce the number of graphics you use wherever possible
   - Make sure the Web Server your site is on is state of the art
   
2. Make sure your site looks professional! It doesn't matter if you do it yourself or hire someone to design it for you - Just make sure it doesn't look like your nephew in Standard 3 made it for his show and tell project - Your site must look professional. This does not mean that it needs to have fancy graphics - It simply needs to look clean, simple and professional. When last did you buy from a website which looked like it was designed in 5 minutes? It may be worth paying a few hard earned South African Rand to get a site professionally designed.
   
   Your Action Plan to a professional looking site:
   - Ask 5 -10 friends to visit your site and rank your site 1 - 100 on whether it inspires confidence.
   - Ask them what they felt made your site lose some credibility.
   - Act on these suggestions if you value their opinions.
   
3. Collect Email Addresses and regularly follow up. (there will be a lesson later dedicated to this point) Most people visiting your site will not buy from you the first time that they visit your site - you will need to contact them again to remind them of what's great about your product! And you'll probably need to contact them again after that!
   
   Your Action Plan to collecting email addresses:
   - Get the addresses as soon as possible i.e. off your home page
   - Offer something in return for their email addresses
   i.e. free report, e-coupons, free newsletters, free products (you get the idea)
   - Once you have their email addresses then follow up with special offers
   
4. Be Consistent in the look and feel of your site. If all the pages of your site look similar then a visitor will know that he is still on your site and has not moved on to a different company’s website. You've worked hard on branding your business - Don't dilute the effect
   
   Your Action Plan to make sure your design is consistent:
   - Keep the navigation buttons in the same place throughout
   - Keep your background colour, links and text the same
   - Make sure your Company logo is on each page in the same place
   
5. Include as much information as possible. That is what the Net is about - information. Don't fall into the trap of not putting all the pertinent info you can about yourself and your products on your page. Don't do the dreaded "Contact us for more information" - Which is easier for your client: to write an email asking for more information and then wait while you get round to answering it or to simply click over to your competitors site where all the info he needs is there waiting for him to read and make a purchasing decision? Plus the more information you have on your website the less time you will spend crafting long reply emails.
   
   Your Action Plan to include all necessary information:
   - Ascertain whether you can include more info on any product
   - Look at the questions most of your clients ask and include the answers on your site
   - Set aside a few quiet hours where you won't be interrupted and just do it
   
6. Answer all client emails within 24 hours. You've experienced it: You see something on the Net that you want so you send an email to the contact address listed. In your fingers you are clutching your credit card ready to make the purchase. You eagerly tap at the 'Send/Receive' button and what happens? Nothing. As time goes on either your desire to buy peters out or you find someone else who is only too happy to answer your questions and get their hands on those credit card details. You then get the answer to the email you originally sent about a week after you sent it. Why didn't you buy from them they wonder? Simple - they took too long to get back to you.
   
   Your Action Plan to return emails promptly:
   - Look at your Inbox as a challenge every day - it is a war against the blue numbers!
   - Picture your potential client waiting to buy your product and then picture his desire fading the longer you take
   - Don't try to craft the 'perfect' reply email - Just answer the questions simply and directly
   - Be sure to access and read your email at least twice a day
   
7. Make sure it's easy to get around and understand your site. Remember we all think that our own site is easy and straightforward to navigate and find information. Why? Because we've spent ages looking through it and know it very well. But how easy is it for the first time viewer? Don't make them wade through irrelevant facts to get to the things they want to know - If they have to wade they won't stick around for too long.
   
   Your Action Plan for easy navigation:
   - Ask 5 - 10 friends / acquaintances to have a look round your site and ask for feedback
   - Ask your visitors to let you know whether they could easily find their way around
   - Include well-labelled navigation buttons on your web site so visitors can easily get to any of the main pages on your site
   - Include a link to a site-map of your page
   
8. Get your own domain name for your site and email addresses at your domain. Which of the two following web addresses would you prefer to buy from: www.tripod.com/ed/~bobshardw/ or from www.bobshardware.co.za . Which email address would fill you with more confidence: bob.j@mweb.co.za This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or sales@bobshardware.co.zaThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . With your own domain name, your website or email address will work for you. People will know that your business is valid and feel more secure buying from you.
   
   Your Action Plan for your own domain name:
   - Find a domain registration company and register your own domain name
   - Click here if you would like to check whether a domain is available for registration
   
   

I guarantee you that if you just read this Internet Marketing series for my superb prose and if you don't ACTUALLY DO anything your website will not miraculously become more effective.

The Simple premise here is: If you go through this Lessons YOUR action WILL START MAKING MORE MONEY.

It really is that simple.

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