Online businesses are often swamped with things to do. They are busy setting up your WordPress website, bookkeeping, hiring freelancers, creating products, networking, etc. They have a to-do list that seems to never end.

If you want to get your online business in front of your ideal client, you must make room in your schedule to learn how to market your business online. It's not complicated. But it does take time, hard work and patience.

I want you to have the best possible chance to succeed. So there are a few things you need to know to avoid an online marketing disaster. Armed with these tips about mistakes you never want to make, you'll be on your way to a profitable and successful online business.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that online marketing stop when you generate a sale. Your current customers are the ideal way for you to reach new customers. You want to get leads from your customers by using marketing concepts such as 'tell a friend' e-mails.

Try to limit the number of products or services that you're offering to your customers. "Information overload" is one of the biggest problems on the Internet. If you give your customers too many choices they'll have a hard time making a decision. The key to avoiding information overload is organization as well as making sure that products and services are directed towards your customers.

Online Businesses Focus Only on Self-Promotion

One mistake that many small online businesses make is to focus only on self-promotion. The bottom line is that customers don't care about you. They only care about what it is that you're selling and what you can do for them. When someone visits your website you have about ten seconds to get their attention before they move on to the next website. That means that you have ten seconds to tell this person why it is that they need you. The home page of your website should tell people why your service or product is just right for them. Your home page should include information about your company and/or have a personal bio about who you are.

If you're not sure about whether your website is reaching the right people, ask them. If you provide something of value to people who visit your website they'll give you information. Things of value include contests, coupons, and free products. Make sure that you let them know they can trust you by including a privacy policy on your website that states you won't share any personal information they provide with anyone else. Stick to your policy and never sell the information your customers provide you with. Otherwise you'll lose and abuse their trust.

Once you know the demographics of your customers you'll know how to spend your marketing budget. You can focus your online promotions using targeted marketing strategy. Even though you may end up with fewer people visiting your website, targeted online marketing is the way to go.


Industry Leaders Magazine