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Internet
Marketing: Start Right, Start Smart
By: Patsi Krakoff
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 Eyou 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.)
1. 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.
2. A blog is inexpensive. An account at Typepad.com, the leading blog
provider, runs from $5-$15/month.
3. 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’sEfor
anyone who wants to use the Internet to build and grow a business online.
Take some teleseminars Ethere are plenty and they're often free
Eor, 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.
As the 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"," Confessions of a Reluctant Blogger: From Boring to Brilliant in 30 Days" and "Secrets of Successful Ezines: A Guide to Writing and Publishing an Ezine that Gets Results." Are you ready for a blog? Take The Blog Squad's free assessment at http://snipurl.com/Blog_Assessment