What you should know about online marketing

Just like everything else marketing has moved online. Most business owners now understand that no matter their product, service or target market they need to have at least some type of online presence. Studies show that more and more consumers are turning to the internet before making a purchase decision which means that if your business is not online you may not even be considered by the customers you are hoping to attract. The bottom line is that no matter if your demographic is a light or heavy user of the internet marketing your business online is a cost effective way to let your customers know what you can offer them. Here is what you should know about online marketing-

- It all starts with a website-Whether you are highly experienced when it comes to online marketing or just beginning it is important to understand that it all starts with a website. You need to make sure that your company has a website that is not only highly informative but extremely easy for your customers to use. If your website takes multiple clicks to get through the site or is visually confusing or even unappealing your customers will quickly move on. Remember, that there are thousands of websites from your customers to choose from and you only have a few seconds to gain their attention. If you are unsure as to how to set up a website there are online tutorials that can help or you can hire a website developer to create and install one for you.
- Make sure that you capture your visitor's information-Your website can serve as powerful marketing tool if you use it to capture the information of everyone who visits your site. You need to make sure that there are easy to use links that allow the user of your website to leave their contact information. Then you can use this information to contact them with product updates, special offers, or anything else that offers value to both your existing and potential customers through the use of email marketing.If you fail to have a mechanism for capturing this information you are overlooking a highly effective marketing opportunity.
- Add on to your site-Once your website is up and running then you can begin to expand your online presence. Many businesses choose as their next step to add a business blog. A business blog allows you to present information that is of value to your target market. Your customers can respond to the blog and you can gain a valuable way to interface with them. However, it cannot be stressed enough that in order for your business blog to be effective you must have relevant and up to date content. It can be helpful to assign someone to make sure that the business blog is kept up to date. If your readers are coming back to check on your blog only to find the same content they will quickly lose interest and move on to another business that regularly updates their blog. The bottom line is that you can use your business blog to position your business as the expert in the field. If you fail to do this you are missing a serious marketing opportunity. Finally, make sure that your business blog is linked back to your website so your customers can further check out what your business has to offer.
- Expand your marketing efforts-The next step to further expanding your online presence is to venture into social media network marketing. These social media sites were once thought to be the venue of teenagers but today businesses are seeing consumers of all ages and demographics checking them out before making a purchase decision. Having a presence on these social media sites can allow you to expand your marketing directly to where your customers are. Keep in mind that all social media efforts should also be linked back to your website.