Marketing Online: Promoting Your Site
In order to generate online sales and traffic, you need to actively market and advertise your products and services, both online and through traditional media (print advertising, brochures, signage, etc.).
Research your market before introducing new products, services, or expanding to a new geographical region. Take advantage of online social media tools such asTwitter, Facebook, Yahoo Upcoming, and YouTube to market and raise your customers' awareness about your products and services.
You can also advertise online on different search engines. For example, Google AdWords lets you target ads to different geographical markets based on different keywords.
Your Website is an Extension of Your Brand
The experience your customers have on your website reflects on your business; a frustrating experience on your website can diminish your brand. Not only should you make sure your brand extends to your website, you should ensure your site is designed so your customers experience a productive and enjoyable visit.
Manage Your Customer Relationships
More and more people expect to be able to interact with a company through its website. Your contact and customer service information, such as shipping and return policies, should be easy to find and understand.
You can also use your website to collect customers’ names and, with their permission, send periodic emails, eletters, or mail to promote your company. If you do collect customer data, be sure your website has a privacy policy and legal disclaimer. You might need to consult with an Internet or privacy lawyer to cover all regulatory aspects of your online business.
To manage your interactions with your customers, you can take advantage of customer relationship management (CRM) systems. There are even free applications available, such as SugarCRM’s CRM solution.