Lessons To Learn In Business
By Debbie Solomon
Posted Sunday, August 29, 2004
It does not matter whether you have been in the marketing business for 1 week or 10 years. The constant changes on the internet makes it possible for people like us to continually learn new ways of marketing our business. Any one who claims they know all there is to know on the internet is sadly mistaken and aiming for DOOM. No one knows it all. There are too many changes taking place. We all need to keep an open mind and be willing to accept ideas and assistance.
We all have ONE goal, to SUCCEED in our business. I have learned many lessons in my experience in marketing on the internet, and I would like to share it with all of you:
LESSON #1: Search Engines
Search Engines are a necessity in business. However, it takes a lot of time and effort to continually being ranked near the top. If you are not in the first 10 pages of a search engine, you will not be noticed. Take one day a week just to submit to your search engines. Have as many doorway pages as possible in order to increase exposure rate on the Search Engines. The most important lesson, however, is, DO NOT depend on Search Engines, they are NOT your bread and butter of Internet Marketing. It is ONLY part of your marketing strategy.
LESSON #2: Your Own Domain
I never realized the importance of having your own domain until I got one for our business. My partner kept telling me that we need to get one, and I just kept telling her to hold off, it is not that important. Well, we finally got our domain, and the small investment that we put toward it has paid off unbelievably. I now feel like I have a place on the internet. I have a NAME and an IDENTITY. Having a domain shows professionalism and consistency in your business. You have so much more available to you in your marketing potential when you make the right move and get your own domain. When people see you have your own domain they know your business is a success. Using these FREE Web Sites, make people wonder; how successful can they be if they don't have their own domain? Be a true professional and make sure you have your own domain. You will be one step closer to having a successful business.
LESSON #3: Merchant Accounts
This is the MOST important lesson I have learned in my marketing experience. I started my business with a form sheet for OnLine Checking. I thought that was all I would need. I figured once I started making my fortune, then I would get my Merchant Account. Well, the money trickled in some, but I was going nowhere fast. I took the chance and got the merchant account. My business picked up 100% within 2 weeks. 85% of all my sales is in credit cards. That is an amazing difference. I would not have a successful business today without being able to accept credit cards.
These LESSONS are just a few examples I have learned in my experience of marketing on the internet. If you want to succeed, you need to take a chance and invest a little to gain a lot. NOTHING worth while is for FREE. Take these Lessons into consideration and increase your marketing potential a little at a time by taking advice of others who are succeeding in the Marketing World. With a lot of work, effort and dedication, with an open mind and willingness to accept help, you will SUCCEED.
One of the biggest problems we face on the internet when marketing is finding the best source of advertising and generating HITS to your site. Not only HITS alone, but sales.
ADVERTISING
When I first started advertising on the internet, I spent numerous hours a day placing ADS at FREE Sites. I guess it is obvious that I wasted valuable time. I added my site to classifieds with 1000's of others hoping people would see mine before anyone else's. I lived in illusion and quickly found out it was not the answer. I shortly learned that I needed to try out the waters, do all kinds of advertising like; Newsgroups, Ezines, low-cost paid ADS, like in AOL and Excite. I write Articles and Publish an Ezine. And I always keep in mind, that I am also a consumer and need to see my site from a consumers point of VIEW. It has helped me a great deal. I am constantly trying various ways of advertising and with each source I use a different AD so I can track where most traffic is coming from. My personal favorites are the EZINEs and also the Newsgroups. They are easy to use and very profitable.
EMAIL
Spamming is a very touchy situation. A friendly email can turn out to be a fury fight. A lot of people don't even read an email and will reply screaming in your face about spamming. I used to get so upset about this. But I have learned my lesson well. Let me put it to you this way, I find my targeted market, which in my case, are people who already have their own business, and I send them an invitation to visit my site to research FREE Reports and Articles that will help them in increase their business potential. I am NOT selling anything, and I am NOT soliciting. WHY? Because I always have a way for these people to be removed from my list. This is assistance for Business Entrepreneurs, and I am not trying to sell anything. This is one way I Network my business. Yes, I still get a few nasty emails sent back to me and I remove them promptly, but these people are just refusing FREE help.
WEB SITE
Now that we know how important a Domain Name is, we also have to realize how important the contents and view of your Web Site is. One thing I cannot stand in web sites is BRIGHT colors and neon signs. I can tell you for a fact that the majority of people looking at sites will tell you the same thing. KEEP IT SIMPLE! Use Warm Colors; black is the most common or a smooth green or browns and beiges. A nice textured background with some subtle graphics will be the best thing you could do for your web site. Just recently I was looking for some helpful tips on Logo's, and I was at the Search Engines. If I entered a site where the colors were bright, I exited right away. If I entered a site that was confusing with tons of information on the first page, I exited. I like an easy to navigate page. A nice description, with a way to get the information I need. My lesson is that TOO much information at once is NOT a good thing. Have your main web page as a navigation guide for people, with a brief description of your site. People will find it a lot easier and will with no doubt bookmark your site for future reference.
I am sure with all the lessons to be learned on the internet, it will take a book to show you all of them. These are very important aspects to learn. We are all here for one reason only, to make a success of our business. Take these lessons into account and please email me for any further guidance at:
mtrendz@cs.com
About the Author
Author: Debbie Solomon
Debbie is the Founder and originator of The Profit Zone: The source for FREE Marketing Tools. She is also the Creator of The HomeSource Arena, which is The Leading Source in Certified Home Employment, and owner of The Online Exchange Ezine, a Top Rated, world renowned Ezine. Please visit their site at: (http://www.marketingtrendz.com)
mailto:mtrendz@cs.com
