We’ve already talked a lot about online marketing, but how does it compare to offline marketing? They can both bring more leads and profit to the table, they just get there through different avenues.

Consider this about traditional marketing. You pay a flat fee for the ad you want placed. This generally includes the Yellow Pages, radio, TV, and newspaper. You then wait for the calls to come from those ads. If you placed a code in each of your ads you will be able to track the ads that are the most successful. However, the bottom line remains that you paid for your ad and now you have to sit and hope it performs.

In sharp contrast, online marketing offers you the option to only pay for the responses you get. This saves you money and increases ROI.

Another huge aspect of online marketing involves search engine listings. You know how import ant it is to land at the top of search engine results. One of the best ways to do this is through submission to a local business directory in one of the major search engines. Submission to local business directories is free and you have the opportunity to share a large amount of information with people looking for your services. Because it’s a directory listing and shows your business on a Google (or other) map, your business information is at the top of search results for keywords related to your business.

Direct advertising is used in both online and offline marketing. In offline marketing it often involves mailing a postcard to your customers with a special promotion. With online advertising direct advertising is in the form of a promotion via email. This also helps save on marketing costs and helps you track the customers who are responding the best.

Viral marketing is simply a form of explosive word of mouth. You know how important word of mouth is to the success of your business and online word of mouth is no different. Online you have the opportunity for word of mouth to reach outside your immediately target market and draw in new leads.

Lead and list building is important as it allows you to find new customers. There are a number of ways to build your database. Offline you have likely added customers into your database when they purchase, subscribe to your newsletter or enter a drawing. Online you can do all of these things in a simple, automated way.

These are all ways to help your business meet your online marketing goals. They are free and easy to execute.

Next week we’re going to venture into how to build your online presence. We talked a bit about that last week, but the entire second section is dedicated to specific strategies to get your business out on the Internet.

Rob Garibay

Last week we talked about how to build a solid foundation for success in your online marketing adventure. This week we’ll take a look at online presence and what it really means.

Your own website is just the start to building an online presence. It is important that you make yourself visible in the online world; visible to your customers, potential customers, and the competition. There are many new and exciting platforms on the Internet that help companies connect with their customers. You can learn about this when you watch my guided tour www.energizeyourprofits.com/guidedtour.

We previously explored the benefits of a great website, which is the foundation for building your online presence. In order to increase your ‘presence’ in the customer’s minds, consider ways to reach them and point them to your products. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are taking over the online world. People spend more and more time on these sites, and companies can use that as a way to reach their customers. Soon we’ll discuss some ways you can use social media to benefit your company.

You’ll also learn how to utilize a blog to draw in new leads and sales. Your blog should be an extension of your website with topics relating to your company. Your blog can also contain pages similar to your website and should also use a subtle call to action. This is a great place to give people more information about how to use your products and make announcements about special events.

Another strategy for building your online presence is article submission. There are a multitude of sites where you can submit articles relating to your business and point people to your products. We’ll give you a list of some of the most popular article submission sites and how to publish content that will drive traffic to your website.

Next week we’ll talk a look at the importance of a website and the components that make a successful website. You’ll see the difference in cost and effectiveness between traditional and online marketing.

Rob Garibay, Building A Foundation

Before you can start your online marketing campaign you need to work through the six steps for success. This will help you flush out a plan to find success. This week you’ll take that plan and learn how to turn it into a solid foundation.

Your road to successful online marketing begins with a solid foundation. One major component of that foundation is a company website. Your company website should represent the products and services your company has to offer. It should have all of the nine basic elements of a good website. These elements can take your customers from start to checkout with ease.

Your website design speaks volumes about your company. Each page on your site should reflect your company and be attractive to visitors. You can choose to spend very little on your website if you plan to do a more of the maintenance yourself. Website hosting on the World Wide Web will cost you a little out of pocket each month. You then have to decide if you will build your own website, which requires a little more knowledge. You could also choose to use a template or even hire someone to do it all. We’ll talk about the options and costs associated with this.

Once your website is up and running, you need to convert visitors into paying customers. There are a series of conversion strategies to choose. One of those strategies is to have a well-defined landing page in which customers immediately recognize why they’re on your site and what they need to do.

It’s essential to keep track of your customers. Set up forms with customer information so that you can contact every customer again in the future. It is also important to measure the effectiveness of your website. You’ll learn how to measure site visits, page views, referring websites, and much more vital information. Once you have this information, you can determine where your online marketing dollars are best spent.

Next week we’re going to take a look at online presence and what it really means. You’ll learn exactly what an online presence is and how that presence can draw customers in and increase your sales. An online presence is also about building brand recognition, another major component to success in an online world.  Until then, check out our e-learning system at www.energizeyourprofits.com.

Rob Garibay

Last week we covered the basics of online marketing and how to pinpoint what your target market wants. You were also able to gain an understanding of what online marketing is. This week we’re going to take a glance into what the next area has to offer. Before you can embark on any new marketing avenue, you need to put together a plan and outline effective steps to meet your goals.

There are six ways to achieve success in your online marketing campaign. One of the ways is to scope out your competition. Find out who your competition is and what they have to offer customers. Do your services or products match up? Notice how they are reaching their customers, whether it’s through online or offline advertisements. Write down what you can do to increase your visibility and be more competitive.

It’s also important to be realistic with your goals and expectations. You want to accomplish many things with your business, but it’s important to take baby steps. Try not to get ahead of yourself in the planning process. To learn even more about setting goals watch my guided tour www.energizeyourprofits.com/guidedtour.

Lead generation is the important step in online marketing that will ultimately help your increase your revenue. What do you do once you capture new leads? How do you keep them? There are some specific steps to take that will help you capture leads. Once you get them to your landing page, you can use some of the strategies to turn them into paying customers.

Budget is another major consideration. It is important to know how much to spend on your online marketing strategies. Develop an action plan listing various marketing strategies and the cost involved. This list may include contests, coupons, newsletters, and website. You can use the three formulas listed to determine your costs as well as your return on investment. This will help you choose where to spend in your online marketing campaign and stay within your budget.

Online marketing success may not happen overnight, but with realistic goals and a pre-determined plan of action, those leads will become paying customers.

Next week we’re going to talk about how to build a solid foundation for success. As with your home, if you do not put down a solid foundation before you build, your structure will crumble.

Rob Garibay

Watch these quick videos of them receiving their awards.

Arecon Data: http://youtu.be/SfWfTRyXeZM

Surgery Logistics: http://youtu.be/2cCkwoRQsaQ