With the use of the internet continuing to grow and security for online shopping improves exponentially, more people are willing to spend money for online shopping. However, even those who do not shop online are using the internet as a resource for finding what they want. They can spend time in the comfort of their own home learning all the details about a specific item and then go into a store that sells that item armed with the information to make a purchase.
Many online companies are failing to use all the available internet marketing resources to their benefit and even companies that do not sell online should be paying attention to online marketing to offer information to customers that may not visit their traditional brick and mortar outlet. For example, a person wanting to buy a new car can research the different brands and models to determine which one is right for them.
In a few hours sitting behind their desk they can learn more about the different models than they can learn in days traveling from lot to lot dealing with a pushy sales staff and once they make their decision they can go the dealer and make their best deal on the make and model they want. This scenario can work itself out in virtually every item and service for sale on the internet and by providing your walk in customers with all the information they need, you can be reasonably sure they will know what they are getting when they pay you a visit.
Once they are in the door, excellent customer service and suggestive selling of related items can keep them coming back as a loyal customer. For those doing business online, internet marketing is the key to their success. It is not a baseball field in Iowa and if you build it, they may not come, mainly because they do not know you exist. Internet marketing is essentially getting your name out in the internet publics view to enable them to make a choice about where to spend their money. Unlike Hollywood however, it is not enough to say it does not matter what they say about you as long as the name is spelled right.
Your reputation is at stake every time someone visits your site. Its look, appeal and ease of use will either invite positive comments or condemn you to the list of might have beens or never were. By building a user friendly website, offering quality products at a reasonable price will keep their interest. However, without a good online marketing plan, there is a good chance they will not stumble on your site by accident. A good plan will get your name out in the publics eye. What happens after that is up to you.
For years, I struggled to find a Biblical view of marketing. It seemed like all the marketing out there did only one thing -- brag. Companies regularly brag about how great their products are. In our culture, this is an accepted practice. But, as a Christian, I was uncomfortable bragging about anything I did or sold.
Then I discovered that there's a good reason I was uncomfortable with the marketing. And it wasn't just because of the bragging. It's because there was something fundamentally wrong with that type of marketing.
You see, when a company brags about its products, the focus is on the company and/or its products. Most business people would say, "Yeah, that's what I'm trying to sell. So why not focus on the product?" The reason is simple -- and it's also a primary reason why so many marketing ventures don't work.
When you focus on your product or service, you talk about the features of your product. You might talk about why your product is better than someone else's. And you might even describe all the details of your product.
But the Scriptures tell us not to focus on ourselves. They tell us to serve others and consider them more important than ourselves (Phil. 2:3-4). Now you can see why I had such a hard time with marketing for so long. It's tough to follow Scripture and brag about yourself.
Fortunately, God knows more about marketing than I ever will. It turns out that God's principle of considering others more important than yourself is a great marketing principle as well.
Here's how it works: Instead of focusing on the features of your product, marketing needs to tell the customer what benefits the product has to offer. In other words, marketing should show a potential customer how your product can make their life better.
Some might argue that telling all about the features of your product does show how it benefits the customer. But that's true only when the connection between the features and the benefit are obvious or already known by the customer. For instance, car salesmen regularly focus on features because just about everyone knows how those features translate into benefits. If he tells you a car has a 350 horsepower engine, you know it's strong enough to tow a boat or to go really fast (depending on the vehicle).
But if you're a plumber and you want to sell someone a new type of water heater, then selling features isn't going to cut it. You've got to explain why this new model, which costs $200 more than the competition, is going to benefit the customer far better the other brand. You could say your unit heats water twice as fast and uses one-third the gas. Those are features. A better way to sell it is to say, "You'll never run out of hot water again and you'll cut your gas bill by two-thirds. In fact, this unit will pay for itself in the first year."
When I figured out this perspective on marketing, I realized that marketing isn't about bragging. It's about serving.
If I truly believe my product will serve people better than someone else's product, telling them how it does so greatly benefits them. I might tell them about some of the features along the way, but always in context of how they benefit the user. And what you'll find in the end is far better sales results.
Both Obinna Heche & Steve Kroening are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Steve Kroening has sinced written about articles on various topics from Investments, Asthma and Health. Steve Kroening writes for Success magazine and also publishes Wisdom's Edge. You can get Biblical tips on health, finance, relationships, parenting, and success, delivered to your email inbox every week. Simply visit. Steve Kroening's top article generates over 27100 views. Bookmark Steve Kroening to your Favourites.