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By Darlene Cary and Lynne DeLuca
So your dot.com stock went - south, and the much-hyped Internet companies with their strange ads have gone - well, somewhere presumably even more south.
What does this strange new reality mean for you, the small businessperson trying to make a living in the real world? Is the Internet an over-promised business bonanza? Or is everyone else hopping on the Internet millionaire's boat leaving you behind?
Let's step back for a moment, evaluate the situation, and then continue. Despite the fallout of late, the Internet is NOT going to go away, and there ARE businesses using the power of the Internet to succeed. And yes, they're companies just like yours.
What is Possible for Me?
First, get realistic with your expectations. Re-evaluate your online plans and objectives. We get inquiries from companies who want to market their web site, but have no clearly defined purpose for doing so other than wanting to get visitors. Well, what do you want those visitors to do? Why have you built your site in the first place? What would you like to accomplish in marketing your site, and what would you use as benchmark measures for success? Have a plan.
Research & Test
Second, research different ways the Internet is making companies like yours successful. Or test out your own methods. The key word here is test. Don't commit large sums of money up front without knowing whether or not the results will work for you. Instead, start small, see if you get results, and then continue with it or move on. Unlike the offline world, the Internet has an amazing ability to track actual results of marketing campaigns.
The World is Getting Smaller
Third, know that globalization is here to stay. What does that really mean to the small businessperson? I'll give you an example from our own company. 10-20% of the subscribers to our e-marketing online newsletter have signed up with email addresses outside the US. Many of them are Russian. Do I ignore that fact? Does any good businessperson ignore that much of their client base? Do I remove all American idioms from our newsletter content? I don't know yet. Do I try to find out their particular needs? Yes, but slowly, and with an open-minded trust like any mutually beneficial relationship. They've already been willing to take the first step by trusting us with their email address.
Freshness Counts
Fourth, keep it fresh. Now that many companies are on their third and fourth generation website, how long has it been since you changed your content? Online visitors are becoming more sophisticated in their expectations for new and useful material. It doesn't have to be flashy (actually better if it's not), but it does have to address the needs and wants of your particular target market. What's in it for them?
The Customer As One
Fifth, think one to one marketing. And yes, it can be done online better than anywhere (except perhaps your own storefront). Start thinking of your clients and customers as individuals, or they'll go somewhere else for their business. The good news here is small businesses have always excelled at relating to the customer as a valuable individual.
The authors of this article are Darlene Cary and Lynne DeLuca of Mind's Eye Presentations LLC, providing web development, hosting, and common-sense Search Engine strategies. Free e-marketing newsletter and article archives: http://mindseyeweb.com/newsletterarchive.htm
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