Like any industry, Online Marketing has its own special marketing tools and methods. Many of these marketing tools may already be familiar to you: autoresponders, SEO software, link-building systems, content management programs, affiliate software… and the list goes on.
However, Online Marketing has other more effective, non-traditional marketing tools every marketer should know about if they want to reach their full potential as online marketers. Some of these marketing tools come cleverly disguised or camouflaged, with many surfers or customers completely unaware that they’re receiving a sales pitch. Yet, these innocent and simple sales techniques are some of the most effective marketing tools on the web.
For anyone involved in Online Marketing or for anyone wishing to become involved, a quick rundown of these marketing tools may prove helpful. Here are a brief list and a few pointers on how to effectively use these marketing tools.
- Domain Name
Let’s start at the very beginning. Your domain name should be considered your first Online Marketing tool. Pick it right and your domain name can also be your most effective marketing tool. Get it wrong and it may spell game over.
Most marketers agree you should pick a short memorable keyword-related domain name. For example, www.successdigestonline.com, it’s easy to remember/spell and it tells you exactly what the site is about. Picking a domain directly related to the keyword or keywords of your site will help greatly in obtaining a high ranking for your site with the search engines. Not to mention, it will be a great marketing and promotional tool, telling your potential customers exactly what your site is promoting and displaying.
On the other hand, some marketers suggest you opt for a short jazzy name that can be easily remembered by your visitors. eBay, Google, Napster, Yahoo… regardless of which route you take, make sure you examine all the marketing potential before you pick your domain name. The right domain name can be one of your most effective marketing tools on the World Wide Web.
Many experts also suggest you only set up a dedicated server for your domain or domains. A dedicated server only carries one domain. Most hosting companies (for economic reasons) often share hosting servers, i.e. your domain is co-hosted with hundreds of other domains on the same server. Since you will be using the same IP address this may have dire consequences if one of the domains is accused of spamming or some other unscrupulous behavior. Even if you can’t afford a dedicated server, it would be wise (for SEO purposes) to have a separate IP address for each domain you own. Most hosting companies provide this service for a small fee.
- Keywords
Keywords, what surfers’ type into search engines to find what they’re looking for, are the real building blocks of the web. They are the single most important element in any online marketing venture. Pick the right keywords and you’re in business, pick the wrong keywords and again, its game over.
Therefore, you must have special keyword software or use some online sites or services to help you pick the right keywords. Many top marketers use WordTracker.com, GoodKeywords.com, or the new Keyword Elite by Brad Callen. A superior keyword research product will supply valuable information: the number of searches made each month, amount of competition and the top sites targeting your keywords.
Remember, you must target the right keywords with your site or online marketing. Targeted keywords draw targeted traffic (customers) to your sites or products. The right keyword software or the program will have a direct correlation to the success or failure of your online marketing efforts. So choose wisely!
- Articles
Many marketers believe in and rely on purely organic SEO techniques for marketing their sites. One simple method of organic SEO is writing and submitting keyword related articles around the topic of your website with links back to your site. As other sites display your articles you gain valuable one-way links back to your site. Search engines then follow all of these links and rank your site highly for the keywords in these articles. For this reason, the modest article may prove to be the single most important marketing tool you have in your arsenal.
As your site becomes highly ranked for these keywords, other sites will want to link to your site in order to become optimized for those same keywords… article keyword marketing is one of the most effective Internet marketing tools at your disposal. Used properly if can position your site in the search engines and bring in all that highly prized targeted traffic.
Keep in mind, many Online Marketers have side-stepped the whole SEO optimization process by going directly to search engines and buying their traffic with PPC pay-per-click advertising. Overture and Google Adwords programs are good examples of this method. Marketers bid on clicks to their site’s keywords and bring in targeted customers. In knowledgeable hands, PPC marketing is an extremely effective and lucrative marketing tool.
- Lists
The backbone of an Online Marketing system is the list. It is another marketing tool you can’t do without. The list is simply a large database of contacts, people who have given you permission to email or contact them. These are subscribers who have opted-in to your e-zine or newsletter. Most successful marketers keep countless different databases for each product or topic they’re targeting with their marketing.
E-zines or newsletters are vital Online Marketing tools that no online business should ignore. It is essential you keep in contact/touch with your past and future customers. You must build an ongoing relationship and connection with your customers.
Besides your e-zine or newsletter, many marketers also set up lists of affiliates to help promote and sell their products. Never underestimate the power of an affiliate system as an effective marketing tool. It is the stuff Empires are made of! Once a marketer has acquired a large list of loyal contacts or affiliates – the floodwaters open up. Opportunities for JVs or Joint Ventures with other online marketers make for serious cash flow.
- Blogs And RSS Feeds
Blogging and RSS feeds have become essential marketing tools for savvy online marketers. Online journals or blogs are all the rage, especially in the marketing field. These blogging systems such as WordPress are great content management tools that will quickly build a content-rich site, pulling in targeted traffic from the search engines.
Search engines are enamored with blogs and RSS feeds mainly because blogs provide fresh content, the main lifeblood of every good search engine. For this reason, no site should be without a blog and RSS feed, it will keep your content regularly visited and indexed by the search engines. In addition, all that information and content is a perfect tool for drawing potential customers to your products and services.
Along with your domains, lists, keywords, and articles – blogs are effective marketing tools that will play an important role in the success of your online marketing. In the right hands, these Online marketing tools can work magic on any company’s bottom line. They are some of Internet Marketing’s most effective tools.
You don’t have to think outside of the box, you just have to know what makes up the box!
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