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A few first steps into Internet marketing

Written by: Joe Gagliano

Article Overview: Existing businesses should have a web presence, but in what form? This article examines some of the ways that the Internet may be used to get started, without an elaborate or costly approach.

A few first steps into Internet marketing

The genie is out of the lamp, you might as well get used to the idea. The internet will continue to dominate all aspects of our lives, and it will continue to redefine the way business is conducted. So a whole crop of dot-coms went down the drain a few years back - that has no meaning in the overall context of the Internet evolution. The dot-com approach was the opposite of conventional business, that is, they attempted to force consumers into the cyber age. Big mistake. Consumers should be always wooed and never corralled. Conventional business, on the other end, is too passive when it comes to using the new technology. Shopkeepers, small manufacturing companies, even some high-tech firms, talk in terms of having a web page. Why? Because now everyone is expected to have a web page. And there's not much to be learned by studying the success stories of companies such as eBay and Amazon.com. Theirs is an entirely Internet play; they found a way to leverage the new medium using a novel approach based entirely upon the Internet. How is a frame maker or a small design and manufacturing company to use that model and thrive as a result? Well, the parallel does not exist. Certainly pay attention to the technical nuances - how to conduct business, track prospects, perform safe transactions, build a database and introduce what personal interaction is possible. Amazon.com does a splendid job and lessons can be learned there, but in essence we are talking about the nuts and bolts of the Internet. What today's businessperson needs to learn is how to apply the skills and knowledge inherent to one's business - knowledge that in some cases dates back over several generations - to the new cyber landscape.

So let us count some of the ways that the Internet can help you with your business.

1. The glorified Yellow Pages entry.

The easiest first step is to create a web page that parodies a Yellow Pages entry, but with much more detail. Hopefully this page is not littered with a host of irrelevant details or gaudy decorations. It is informative, to the point, and compelling enough to motivate the visitor to obtain more details. This is not the e-commerce site - browsers wanting to buy need to go to the store or contact the seller via phone, fax, or email.

2. The knowledge blog.

Say you're a master frame maker. You can maintain a blog dealing with the many aspects of the craft: materials, techniques, sources, examples, etc. Such a blog validates your credentials as an expert in the field, and it may be linked to your web page for the crass commercial aspects.

3. The resource links.

People searching for goods and services don't always have a clear idea of what they want. A resource page on your website can help define those vague ideas. Even if you don't get a sale, you establish yourself an authority and a helpful trader, and sooner or later there will be a payoff.

4. Prospecting.

Anyone visiting your web sites should be able to register his or her email address. Even if you're not sure what you're going to do with this database, it's a good idea to create it. Later you may want to make some announcement about products, pricing, contests, etc.

5. Alliances.

You can be creative in making alliances. Going back to the frame maker example, you wouldn't want to exchange information with a competitor down the street, but there's no reason to hold back with businesses in the same field in different towns or states.

6. Extranets.

You can reserve a section of your website with limited access by registered customers. Here you can display work in progress, delivery information, or any other elements that are only shared between you and one or more customers.

These few first steps are essentially a support mechanism for your business. They do not entail a quest for supremacy in search engine results, nor do they attempt to establish an online business. They play a defensive role while you get used to the idea of using the Internet to support your existing business.

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Article Tags: beginning website, extranet, Internet marketing, Internet resources, prospecting, yellow pages



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