Foundation
Two elements are the foundation of any online marketing and sales effort. Implement these well before diluting your efforts pursuing other online media.
Website
Your website is your online headquarters. There are an almost unlimited number of approaches to designing your site. The best websites are frequently not the most elaborate. Keep these concepts in mind:
- Clean design and easy to use navigation beat
intricate graphics and animation every time.
- Decide what you want website visitors to do and make it easy for them to do it!
- The fewer keystrokes to accomplish the desired action, the better.
- Make it easy, obvious and desirable for visitors to subscribe to your email list.
- Keep website copy succinct and to the point. Use bullet points to make it easy to scan for key information.
- Make sure your shopping cart is easy to use.
- If you offer email as a way for visitors to contact you (you should!), be sure to reply to all inquiries within 24 hours.
- Keep content updated!
Email Marketing
- Email is the best way to build a relationship with customers and prospects: you control the message and the frequency.
- Use email to build relationships with both consumers and trade partners.
- Building a good email list is one of the best marketing assets in which you can invest.
- Each name on your list should generate $3-7 each time you mail.
- Build your brand by providing relevant and timely content.
- Analyze your email statistics for continual performance improvement.
