Internet Business Marketing - Web Site Promotion

Assuming you have a product to sell, here are some ideas about internet business marketing.

Firstly, be very clear about what it is that you're selling. Are you selling a physical product, or are you selling information or expertise? You may have knowledge about a certain area - write an e-book about it and sell it online.

Importantly, once you know what you're selling, clarify the value the product provides to the consumer. Who is it aimed at, what are their problems or concerns, and how does your product solve their problems?

Once you know all this, it's time to get your web page ready. Take a look at your site and determine what your goals are when a new visitor arrives. Ideally, you want them to take some kind of action i.e. buy your product, register for your email list etc. Be blunt about this and make it obvious to a new visitor what you want them to do. If you're selling a product, make it very clear about how to purchase it.

Set up a sales page that addresses your prospect's concerns and fears, and clearly shows how your product will meet their needs.

So how do you get the word out with smart internet business marketing?

Find popular blogs and forums in your niche. Leave comments that add value on those blogs. Some will be no-follow - that doesn't matter. The purpose is to get those blog viewers to read your comment and click on your link.

Offer to write guest articles on related sites in exchange for links to your site.

Give away your product to the key thought leaders in your niche. Ask them to review it and provide you with testimonials. Let them become affiliates - most will have email lists that they can market to.

I've seen some people suggest that you target one or two key players and offer them 100% commission on any sales they introduce. Whilst you lose the initial money, you could gain a lot of new customers, all who will provide you with their email addresses so you can market directly to them in the future. In addition, some of them may become affiliates themselves and give you new sales at a more reasonable revenue split.

Consider pay per click (PPC) advertising through Google. Make sure you've done your keyword research beforehand and target specific search terms. Depending on your product you could even target geographical regions. Track your results and make sure you're obtaining a decent return on your investment. Experiment with different ads and even different landing pages.

Add a bonus to your product to make it appear more special. Also consider adding some scarcity to the product offer. You could limit the total number of products sold (easy to do with paintings etc) or you could introduce some earlybird pricing i.e. a lower price for the first week or for the first 200 copies of an e-book.

Consider offline marketing as well. You may be able to target local media, business organizations etc that your customers belong to. Consider writing for different publications in exchange for links to your site.

Don't forget the power of social media like Twitter and Facebook. Promote your product, ask others to help with the promotion as well. Consider finding other people in similar or complimentary fields and offer to help each other. They can promote your product to their list in exchange for you promoting their product to your customers.

Finally, in internet business marketing remember to track your results, and to always be on the lookout for new opportunities.