Guide to Internet Marketing

Like a business plan and a budget, an Internet marketing strategy is something that absolutely every modern-day small business start-up needs. While a good starting point is a website, Internet marketing requires more than a couple of static web pages. Instead, successful Internet marketing mandates a dynamic and well-rounded web presence that builds relationships in addition to sales, advocates in addition to customers.

A comprehensive Internet marketing strategy replaces newspaper ads with banner ads, yellow pages with search engines, snail mail with e-mail, town squares with social networks and sales letters with custom content. The technology is as evolutionary as it is revolutionary, and smart businesses are taking notice.

Tools and technology aside, there are dozens of reasons to engage actively and often in Internet marketing, of which the “cool” factor is just one. Here are a few of the most persuasive:

1. When they need information, modern-day consumers turn first to the Internet; Internet marketing will make sure they find you when they do.
2. Online marketing is ripe with research potential; if nothing else, companies should engage in Internet marketing in order to collect data about their customers and prospects.
3. By marketing on the Internet, companies can reach a more targeted audience; what’s more, they can reach it quickly and intimately.
4. Internet marketing lends itself to instant conversions; upon introducing customers to your product, they can immediately click through to purchase it.
5. Compared with many traditional marketing vehicles, Internet marketing services are both more affordable and more effective.
6. Internet marketing is global marketing; by marketing on the Internet, your company can enjoy international marketing exposure on a local marketing budget.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Make PR a core component of your Internet marketing strategy

Marketing on the Internet is about more than advertising; it's also about public relations. Use the Internet to generate publicity and to monitor, build and maintain your online reputation.

I recommend: Include Google Alerts in your Internet marketing toolbox. Use them to keep tabs on mentions of your name, your company and your products online; search Technorati, meanwhile, for mentions in blogs and social media. Finally, when you write press releases, distribute them via a newswire service like PRWeb, which allows you to tag your release for exposure on social bookmarking sites like Digg and Del.iciou.us.

Purchase display advertising and take advantage of traditional online marketing tools

Display advertising, including banner ads of all sizes, is perhaps the most basic form of online marketing. Because you'll pay for impressions - banner ads are typically priced using CPM, or cost per thousand impressions - make sure you pursue ads only on websites that your target customers visit.

I recommend: Yahoo! Advertising provides Internet marketing services with which to design, purchase and place your Internet advertisements.

Engage in e-mail marketing in order to better target your Internet marketing efforts

Promotional e-mails, including targeted messages and periodic e-mail newsletters, are an effective, opt-in tool for doing one-to-one Internet marketing. Send coupons or send content, but whatever you do, don't send spam.

I recommend: VerticalResponse is a popular e-mail marketing vendor that can help you develop and execute an Internet marketing strategy that’s all about e-mail; browse its resources page for e-mail marketing research, tips and advice.

Use search engine marketing to strengthen your larger Internet marketing strategy

If you have a website, Internet marketing via search engines will help your customers find it. Consider search engine optimization, which will improve your search engine rankings, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, which markets your company via relevant, targeted search engine queries.

I recommend: When you’re marketing on the Internet, use Wordtracker’s free keyword suggestion tool to choose keywords; use those keywords in PPC advertising via Google AdWords and Yahoo! Sponsored Search in order to build search engine traffic.

Pursue affiliate marketing and let others do your Internet marketing for you

A collaborative approach to Internet marketing, affiliate marketing consists of advertisements on other people's websites; every time a customer clicks on those ads and visits your website, your affiliate gets a small commission.

I recommend: While LinkShare and ClickBank are examples of companies that provide affiliate-focused Internet marketing services, AffiliateScout.com and AffiliatePrograms.com are examples of directories where you can search for affiliate networks based on geography, industry, etc.

Make blogging an essential piece of your Internet marketing strategy

In contrast to expensive Internet marketing services, blogs offer business owners an affordable and personable way to connect with customers. Blogging about your business, your industry and your life positions you as an expert, an advocate and most importantly, a person.

I recommend: For a low monthly fee, you can publish your own blog via sites like TypePad and Movable Type; Blogger and WordPress, meanwhile, are free. Don’t forget to market your blog via RSS feeds; while most blogging software will create RSS feeds for you, Internet marketing companies like SimpleFeed can help if yours doesn’t.

Find viral marketing tools with which to spread your online marketing message

Whether you send a viral e-mail, produce a viral video or build a viral website, Internet marketing of the viral variety spreads far and fast, allowing you to start small and finish big.

I recommend: Consider uploading branded media to sites like YouTube, Revver or Flickr; while there’s no guarantee, a video or photo that goes viral can attract heaps of new business.

Participate in social networks to give your Internet marketing an interactive edge

Social networks are an essential component to your modern-day Internet marketing strategy; giving your company a presence on popular social networks allows you to engage younger consumers and turn them into brand evangelists.

I recommend: While MySpace, Friendster and Facebook tend to be the most attractive social networks for companies who are marketing on the Internet, other sites, such as Second Life and Twitter, are becoming major players. Still other sites, like LinkedIn, are proving themselves important stomping grounds for BtoB marketers.

Generate online word of mouth with consumer-driven Internet marketing efforts

Internet marketing is about interactivity. Give your customers a platform for expressing-and sharing-their opinions online in order to build buzz and goodwill.

I recommend: Customer reviews are a great option for companies that want to give consumers the power to do their Internet marketing for them; while many shopping cart solutions, such as Zoovy, now include built-in customer review functions, companies like PowerReviews specialize in them.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• More than advertising for your website, Internet marketing should provide you with an entire online brand. Your Internet marketing strategy should therefore look beyond just making sales and toward building an engaging online web presence.
• Don't put all your eggs in one basket. When you're marketing on the Internet, reserve a portion of your budget for offline advertising, such as direct mail, which you can use to push traffic to your website.
• Keep in mind that not all online advertising can be bought; a big part of Internet marketing is building relationships and earning reputations.
• Whether offline or online, marketing requires a clear and comprehensive understanding of your target customers. Find out who you're after and on what websites you can find them, then proceed accordingly.
• Internet marketing is about utility. It's not enough to build a pretty website; you must also build one that's engaging and easy to use. If you focus your Internet marketing strategy therefore on creating a positive user experience, a profitable one will follow.

The official source of Internet Marketing is the Internet Marketing page at Business.com