Part I:
Marketing
Basics
4 Ps
Markets
Consumer Decisions
Diffusion
Marketing Mix
Relationship Marketing
Hunters & Browsers
USP
Push vs. Pull
Reach & Frequency

Part II:
Should your
Business
be Online?
Customers Online?
Competitors Online?
Cost?
Benefits?
Risks?

Part III:
Marketing
Blunders
to Avoid
Netiquette
Legal Blunders
Distribution and Pricing
Graphics and Design
10 Blunders to Avoid

arrowPart IV:
How to
Do It
Bare Bones Marketing
Getting Noticed
Call to Action
Repeat Traffic

Bare Bones Marketing
The Internet is so new that no two people can ever agree on what will work and what will fizzle. Bill and Susan put their heads together and are in fair agreement about this checklist of the minimum requirements for a successful web presence.

Don't bite off more than you can chew:

Start modestly and leave room to expand. As your experience with the Internet matures, so will your site. An small, manageable site will give you leeway to fine-tune your approach and integrate Internet marketing into your daily operation.

Identify yourself prominently and frequently:

As a minimum, your company name, a logo and e-mail address needs to be on every page. The repetitive exposure, or frequency, hammers your message home. The repetition also ensures that people who enter your site through the back door know who they're visiting. Give them a home button, too, so they can find their way back to the beginning.

Make the first page sing:

Visitors will decide whether to set a spell by your first page. be sure it's a good one. Someone should be able to look at the first screenful -- before they every monkey with the scrollbar -- and learn enough about you to form a good impression. Don't make them work too hard. You only get one chance to make a first impression.

But make it fast:

Once people get to know you by borrowing deeper into your site they will be more tolerant of bloated graphics. If they have to scare at a blank screen before they can figure out who you are, they leave and start hanging out with someone faster.

Make contact effortless:

There's nothing we hate more than having to poke around to find an address or phone number. Include e-mail buttons, guest books, forms, autoresponders, toll-free numbers: anything you can think of to get visitors to talk to you. Include low-tech contact information such as postal addresses, phone numbers and faxes.

Give more than a sales pitch:

Internet shoppers insist on being informed or entertained and are turned off by unadorned sales pitches. Add value to your product by giving them something fun or useful.

Establish your credentials:

People are still wary about fraud on the Internet and need reassurance that you are a reputable person who won't run off with their hard-earned cash. List your credentials, licences and anything else that established your credibility. Real-world contact information, such as street addresses and phone numbers reassure customers that they can find you if something goes splat. Your photo helps prove that you have nothing to hide. Consider testimonials or references. Give lots of warm fuzzies.

Dangle something:

If you are trolling for leads rather than sales hold something back and make them ask for it so they have a compelling reason to cough up their name and e-mail address. It can be something tangible that you mail to them, such as a product sample or map. You can make them register beofre moving onto an alluring section of your site or promise to send them e-mail when sales start, new products are launched or the web site changes. It doesn't have to be expensive.

Complete the sale in one pass:

Don't give people time for second thoughts. Sites that take money on the spot do better than ones that ask customers to call a phone number or print an order form. They will move onto another website searching for a better deal. Your web address will fall into the black hole. Something will probably happen to make them retract their purchase desicision. Payment seals the deal.

Measure Results:You should have a way of tracking hits to your site. A subtle counter is acceptable but its even better to have your web space provider furnish a detailed monthly report. Track leads and sales obtained from your site so you can monitor succes and make adjustments.

Be consistent:Repetition helps people become comfortable with your site. Keep the colors and design the same, or similar throughout the site. Use the same icons throughout and place them in the same location on every page.

Continually Refresh:Keep an eagle eye on the competition to make sure you haven't fallen behind. Ensure all your outside links still work. Add new material. Listen to your customers to see what they want, and try to give it to them.

Hype your site: If people can't find you, you won't break through the clutter. This is so important, we'll devote the next section to it.

arrowNext Section: Getting Noticed on the Internet

Susan Ives
Square 1 Internet
suives@texas.net
(210) 694-4582
FAX (210) 694-IVES
 Bill McGaw
iWay Solutions
bill@iwaysolutions.com
phone: (210) 696-9800
FAX: (210 696-4900