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Internet Marketing 101 series: excelling online

November 21, 2009 Based on the background in explained in the previous 3 blogs, here are 7 tactics to incorporate in an overall strategy:

1.  Instill confidence in your potential consumers through your Web site.  Write in their language using terms that they can use, using navigation that makes logical sense, and enabling simple-to-load graphics.  Don't hide information that people want by making them wade their marketing speak.  Trust me on this one. [Or just check your exit rates in your analytics.]

2.  Create a unified brand through everything offline and online.  Does your store (point-of-purchase) have the same look and feel as your online imagery?  Is the language the same?  Is the messaging the same?  Are the sales and promotions and merchandise the same?  Is the experience the same?  Many companies concentrate on their store and use their Web site as an after that.  For the consumer, that's like wanting to shop at a store and experiencing Siberia instead.  I've sat in countless focus groups where the consumer landed on a retail store's Web site and uttered out loud the words, "What the hell is this?"

3.  Capture leads and give them something in return.  Incorporating email marketing is important, and you need to get their emails to do that properly.  Buying a list is shaky at best, normally because people aren't in the market for your product when your email arrives. When collecting email addresses via your Web site, reward them.  Enter them in contests, raffle off products, give them coupons, enable them to download something.  The list goes on. 

4.  Create an emotional connection.  Why should a consumer believe in your company?  What makes your target audience tick?  Answer that and you're found your golden nugget.  Ensure you use the correct language though.  For example, if people need a good night's sleep and they're exhausted, don't tell them the  mattress they're looking at has coil count has reinforced steel so it won't sag.   Tell them the foam topping will cradle them so they don't have to think about it.

5.  Increase ticket sales.  Use the recommendation tool:  If you like this, others have also bought this...

6.  Create brand advocates.  I won't buy baked goods from Ollie's (per my earlier blog), but I'll rave to hundreds about Camino Bakery. And I'll forward along emails containing specials and what's recently baked to my friends.  And chances are I'll also post it on my Facebook profile.

7.  And whatever you do, don't lie. Marketing is meant to inspire, but be careful how you phrase it.  All it takes is one simple search to find out if what you're saying is the truth.  And people want to compare products.  Trying to prevent them from doing so is not only a bad business practice, it's deceitful. You can get creative, but know your audiences' buying habits first.

Posted by Suze Bragg on November 21, 2009 | Comments (0)