'Absorbing the web into your overall business plans'

Absorbing the web into your overall business plans

By Edina at 01/19/09 22:39

Just as in the case of off-site businesses, on-line business also require a knowledge of business fundamentals, good marketing techniques and a focus on your customer.

Good, stable businesses that have continued to grow over time, have started with slowly building their customer list, and experimented with a variety of marketing techniques until word of mouth marketing kicked in. There are a couple of things to keep in mind at this point:

• You must have the right business fundamentals before you can have a Web site that is truly successful -  Don’t confuse your revenues with profit. Manage your costs, merchandising, and don't forget customer service to keep your bottom line a true profit
• Successful web marketing requires a combination of marketing methods - Divide your web marketing budget money wisely! They key is to combine online marketing efforts such as banner ads, pay per click and others, with traditional media such as radio, newspaper, newsletters, etc. Decide what portion of your advertising dollars will go to each type, break each side down by type of marketing, and pick your top three online and traditional methods and start there.
• The best marketing plans are revised actively as the marketing needs for your business change - The should also be a document that allows you to clearly see profits for the past quarter and forecast your profits for the next quarter.
• The customer is the measure of all things for your Web site, from your site design to marketing - Think of your customers in everything that you do. It is smart to consider simple statistics of human behaviour. The number 7 is important! General retention is 7 words we can actually recall after reading.  It generally takes 7 seconds to look at a billboard to remember all the details.  A customer returns to your web site 7 times before they make a final decision to buy or act on your offer. Customer retention will be further discussed in the next articles.

 

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