Internet Marketing: Start Right, Start Smart
by Patsi Krakoff,
Published on this site: February 24th, 2006 - See
more articles from this month
When a professional or small business owner decides to launch
their business on the internet, they often start with a website.
They've heard that everybody has to have a website. Then they
learn that they should have an email newsletter.
Many people start out piece-meal. Website with one company,
newsletter delivery with another provider, online payments
with another, and as each need arises they get an account
with a new provider. In a previous article (http://snipurl.com/Internet_Marketing1),
we recommended starting with a shopping cart marketing system.
The next step is to establish your online presence.
Website First, Blog First?
As stated above, it wasn't long ago that you would get started
with your online business by creating a website. However,
after several months and several thousands of dollars you
may learn your website isn't enough. You do need
a web presence, and there is an alternative to hiring a web
designer to do it for you - you can create a blog for your
business.
Since the invention of easy-to-use blogging programs, we
recommend to many small businesses and professionals to skip
a website, and start off with a blog. A blog can do just about
anything a website can, and has several big advantages. (A
blog actually is a website, only its software provides for
easily updated content and reader participation.)
- A blog is user-friendly. You can learn how to manage
it yourself, no need to hire a web designer, pay big fees
or be at the mercy of their busy schedule.
- A blog is inexpensive. An account at Typepad.com, the
leading blog provider, runs from $5-$15/month.
- Blogs are search engine friendly. Even if in the beginning
you don't have a clue about how to optimize your site for
the search engines, don't worry. Just know that when you
are writing about your niche, to your targeted audience,
you will be using the very same keywords that get entered
into Google when people are searching for things. This will
increase your chances of getting found on the 'Net by the
people who want and need you. Websites are a little more
complicated and if they aren't updated frequently, they
don't get indexed by the search engine spiders very often.
Huh? What's a Spider?
Don't worry about the technological jargon. You don't have
to understand how a blog and search engines work right now.
But you do have to know that these elements are "must-do's"
for anyone who wants to use the internet to build and grow
a business online.
Take some teleseminars - there are plenty and they're often
free - or, buy a couple of ebooks that show you how to manage
these tasks.
Don't make the mistake of getting overwhelmed by all the
possibilities and all the companies trying to sell you their
services. Start out slowly, ask questions, gather information,
inform yourself about the options and benefits before you
even think about setting up your website or blog. While we
can't really make recommendations for you without knowing
about your business niche, in general, you can't go wrong
by setting up a shopping cart and a blog so you can
start your business online the smart way. The two go hand
in hand. If you want to make money online, you can't have
one without the other.
The Blog Squad, Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman have
teamed up to work with professionals to maximize their marketing
strategies by implementing blogs, ezines and ecommerce tactics.
They are co-authors of "Build a Better Blog: The Ultimate
Guide for Boosting Your Business with a Professional Blog."
Are you ready for a blog? Take The Blog Squad's free assessment
at http://snipurl.com/Blog_Assessment
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