Running any internet business without a sound marketing plan is like trying to cook without any heat



source. The ingredients are in place, prepared and cut to perfection, the recipe is precise and

clearly defined, the utensils lined up in perfect order, - but no result.

While the principles here apply to any marketing plans, this article makes special reference to internet marketing plans.

Why is internet marketing so essential?

A well-planned and executed internet marketing strategy is a prime mover for any business. Business

success stems from:

1.Having customers

2.creating appropriate marketing plans

3.promoting your service or product

4.expanding your sales volume

5.retaining your customers

6.growing your customer base.

Brief overview of internet marketing essentials.

1. In internet marketing the first act is to discover where your market is.

A profitable market is created when you identify underserved customers and offer

them products they want or need. Underserved customers may be found by

* regions,

* those overlooked by major suppliers, creating services or

* products that address specific problems or concerns or identifying needs that have not been suitably

attended to.

2. Stand out from the crowd:

This doesn't imply you have to be the best at everything [though it certainly won't

hurt]. But in your internet marketing strategy you do need to have a USP [Unique Selling Point] in at least one market. Create and emphasize a unique aspect of your product or service that isn't available in

a competitor's offering. Your USP could be in the products's features, in your delivery

methods, in pre and post sales follow-up or in customer interaction strategies.

Be different and avoid the lemming effect. In internet marketing for example,

offering free ebooks has become an over-applied enticement with questionable value.

Find out if there really is a want for yet another ebook. If your ebook has a USP, it

may bring dividends. As just another generic 'free gift' it fails to excite, incite or

generate any desired action.

3. Inciting customer action:

Does just having a USP, a right market and a great product guarantee a sale? Not

necessarily. Potential customers are bombarded with a stream of advertising

messages. They have too many options, too many substitute products and too many

slick marketers chasing their dollars. You need to apply well thought out intellectual,

logical and and emotional motivation The most effective is in developing a

relationship with your intended customers.

4. Developing a relationship.

In one word - communication. Advertisements alone are not communication, though

it certainly helps create awareness and brand identity. But in applying this particular

strategy, communication is designed to build a relationship where trust, loyalty, and

even a certain amount of 'fondness' or familiarity is built between seller and customer.

The primary goal is to create an emotional bond, so most decisions to buy have an

emotional element and is not driven by intellect or logic alone.

5. Developing your market size:

Having mastered the art of the psychology of buyers, market size is crucial to

continued business growth. Large organizations or established marketers don't have a

problem in finding customers, as they have access to generous advertising budgets,

and have created strong brand awareness. Who doesn't know McDonalds for burgers;

Dell for computers, or Sony for audio and video products?

So how do you expand your market? Direct Mail has limited value as most

recipients toss them into the garbage bins. A very few file them away for a possible

future source reference. Blasting email ads invites extensive use if the delete key -

even easier than tossing into the garbage pile.

Some effective methods may be free samples, 'demo ' products, regular newsletters

about the business/service and its USP, Choice location or easy access.

Methods differ between brick-and-mortar businesses and internet businesses, but the

underlying principles are the same.

6. Closing the deal:

Until this happens, nothing else has any value. For a deal to be closed, a prospective

buyer needs to:

* Be attracted to the product or service

* Be convinced the product or service serves their specific need or solves a particular

problem.

* Have no doubts about the product's quality, ability and applicability

* Have a convenient and reliable and secure way to pay for and take delivery of the

product or service

* Have a guarantee on the product's performance and recourse to appropriate action

should the product or service fail to deliver as promised.

Internet Marketing strategies need a great deal of creativity and time. Well thought-out and

implemented internet marketing strategies however, offers returns many times higher than the effort invested.

Copyright Dan Jeremiah: www.vmsbonline.com This article may be reproduced with the all content and links included without any editing.