Incorporating the internet into your marketing plan

It can be a tough change for some companies to move some of their marketing over to the internet.Most businesses don't regret the transition to e-marketing because of how much it helps their marketing budget.

But it can be tough the first time you and your marketing team start incorporating the internet into your marketing plan.Here are a few ideas that will make the transition as smooth as possible, while being most profitable to your business.

- Before you can start marketing on the internet you need a website.If there are any costs they should be added to your marketing expenses.Make sure that your website fits with your type of business.It is a good idea to check your competitor's websites and make sure yours is as good as or better than theirs.
- Before you start doing business online you need to make sure that your website is safe.Before you take any customers' information you should have your website secured for them.It is wise to get an encryption in place if any of your customers will be doing transactions online.Your business should be very contentious and advertise the safety of their customers' information.
- Next you should make sure that you have email addresses for your customers.It is a good idea to take the time to collect the emails when customers are in your store, which is a free means of obtaining what you need.Make sure that your customers know that you are using their emails for their benefit and that you will not be sharing them with anyone else.
- Make an emailing list, or maybe even a few lists.If you have different niche markets within your marketing plan then the emails should be divided as such so that you can market to the right people.This will be the most cost effective way of setting up internet marketing with email.
- Set up an e-newsletter or e-coupons for your email customers.These should be exclusive to the customers that gave you their emails, that way it can be used as leverage in getting their information.This also puts them in an exclusive bracket, which is a great way of creating loyalty.
- On your website you should have an email address for your business where customers can write in comments, complaints or suggestions.To keep your customers satisfied there should be someone to answer their emails quickly.Let them know that even though there is no face-to-face contact that they are still very important to you.
- Another very important part of being online is being set up with search engines.If you want new customers to see your website then your website needs to be in the first twenty listings on any given search engine.There are many ways to make this happen, it is mostly a matter of how much you have to spend.
- Viral marketing is a great benefit when used with internet marketing.Taking advantage of viral marketing using your current customers is a great low cost way to market on the internet.
- Make sure that your other advertising shows how to get to your website.This will bring new customers into your website where you should be getting their email information.All of your marketing efforts should be working together.
- Make sure that you look into the costs of starting your e-marketing and make sure it is situated into your marketing budget.You may even consider setting up a separate budget for your internet marketing, just depending on how much you are planning to do online.

Competitors love businesses that are scared of marketing on the internet.It gives you a whole new market when you get online, and as long as you aren't online your competitors can have all of that market.Stay ahead of the competition!