As consumers continue researching products and services on the web like never before, visibility for any local business via the Internet is the key…

Internet Marketing is your local business advertising solution.

No matter what your personal thoughts are about the emergence of  websites like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google, and a host of other Online marketing tools – getting started with Internet marketing for your local business now seems more daunting than ever.

But let’s face it,  if you own a local business and you do not have some kind of Internet Marketing strategy in place, your days of working with real customers are numbered.

It’s time you faced the facts. While you’re busy standing there asking yourself if Social Media Marketing will work for your business, your competition is already hard at work establishing their web-presence and leaving you in their virtual dust.

Come on now. It’s the 21st century. If you own a local business, and I mean any kind of local business, the bottom line is this: Online marketing is NOT an option anymore. Marketing your small, local business on the Internet will make the difference you need to succeed.

So make no mistake. When you are ready, you will want to use every one of these Seven Simply Success Strategies if you expect to win Online, especially in your local market.

• A Website You Control

First things first…You must operate with your own business website. One that you own and control. This will enable you to make basic changes and updates on your own, preferably right through your web browser.

The days of waiting for a “webmaster” to update your website for you are over. Besides that’s never been a smart use of your time or money. These days, WordPress, an open-source (free) publishing platform, is an outstanding choice for managing and organizing virtually any size website for any kind of business, big, small, local or global…

• Google Places with Hot Pot
  

Next, I’ve got to ask…Have you taken a good look around the Internet lately? We all know that Google clearly stands alone as the “900 lb. Gorilla” of all the online search engines, right? Okay, so did you know that Google recently completely revamped how they search?

Yep, it’s true. Many don’t realize that “Google Places” is the most basic component of local online marketing with Google. This is a really easy and highly effective Online Marketing tool that all local business needs to know about.

You can get all the details at http://Google.com/places/. This tool is one of the fastest ways to get found in Google. In no time at all you will be listed on the first page. And best of all,  it’s FREE!

• Basic SEO

Third on the list is SEO which  stands for “search engine optimization” – which basically means making your website relevant when someone searches for your business name or terms related to what you sell.

You see, many make the mistake of thinking that simply getting a Website set up is all they need to start getting new customers. Setting up the site is easy, getting ‘natural’ search-engine traffic is the key.

It’s true. SEO is a big topic that can take many hours of study to understand. But good Website SEO doesn’t have to be complicated either.  Basically, building all the content, information, and text on your site around a central theme is the #1 thing you can do to increase your chances of ranking well in Google and other search engines.

• Make Value-Added Offers

Because it is a relatively new concept in Internet marketing, most businesses don’t make offers on their websites. Their web pages are static, kind of like old school yellow pages ads. They look like everyone else’s and say basically the same things.

The forth success strategy to market any local business on the Internet is simple. You need to make offers on your Website that spur people to take action. Offer a discount or special service if they respond.

Give your website visitors an incentive to come in today. Most importantly: make your offers big, bold and obvious on your Website.  Don’t be shy about giving your audience a reason to do business with you.

• Drive Traffic

Internet marketing any business Online is all about numbers.  Getting lots of viewers to your Website is crucial. Let’s face it…You won’t make a dime with your business website if plenty of the right people don’t see it.

So this success strategy is a big one and the fastest way to “drive traffic” is to buy it, specifically with the Google AdWords pay-per-click program or other similar platforms.

Pay-per-click means you only pay when someone clicks your “sponsored” ad on the search engine listings, and Google’s AdWords is the largest pay-per-click advertising network on the Internet.

One quick tip about PPC. Unless you are marketing your local business to the entire World, make sure you set up a “geo-targeted” campaign when starting out so only people in your local area see your ads. This will save you a boat load and assure only targeted traffic.

• Local List Building

Building up a local Online following is critical. This is a group you communicate with using online tools. Building this list is by far the smartest and most cost-effective things every local business can do Online.

Whether through email, blogging, Twitter, Facebook, or any number of the many Online tools available, communicating with a targeted group, providing them with value-added information and special offers can bring huge rewards. One coupon with the right offer to the right audience can turn any medeocre day into a blockbuster sales day.

• Consistent Follow-Up

One of the biggest online marketing mistakes people make is NOT following up with prospects and customers. Just because it is called Internet Marketing does not mean the old, tried and true, marketing methods don’t apply.

Use email auto-responders or other innovative soft-ware tools to keep in contact with your new prospects and customers. Buy Propecia

By always offering updates, giving them special notices and making offers gives them reasons to do business with you. This also provides them with the useful information they want.

Don’t think that just because your prospects come into your sales-funnel via the Internet that they don’t need good-old-fasioned follow-up. As one of my mentors always used to say, “The fortune in sales is always made in the repeat business.”

What about your business? How are you using the Internet to increase profits?

Would you like to get more customers…More telephone calls?

Leave me your comments below. I’d love to hear what Online marketing tactics are working for you and your local business. And if you would like more information on ways to further monetize your existing Website, simply fill in the space above with your information and I will be happy to respond soon.

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Tags: Google, Google Maps, Internet marketing, Linkedin, Marketing, Pay per click, Search engine optimization, Website

This entry was posted on Monday, February 21st, 2011 at 12:34 am and is filed under Internet Marketing Local Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.