This blog post is no joke!
Here are five foolish errors people make with the online marketing for their business:
- Not having a website! We all know that the internet is where people look for goods and services. It’s where we look for restaurants, plumbers and hotels. It’s where we make reservations, buy stuff and find information that we use to choose where to spend our time and money. If your business does not have a website, you have the equivalent of a three-legged chair for your business’ marketing.
- Having a website that is outdated! Many businesses made websites five to ten years ago, and these websites have not changed since then. If your website is stuck in the era of “Seinfeld” or “Friends”, it probably makes your business look old and outdated. Is that the way you want potential customers to view you?
- Not doing email marketing. You probably have hundreds of customers in your email program. A simple monthly newsletter, if well written and properly focused, could be a great way to keep all your customers a little closer to you….a lot farther from your competitors!
- Taking customers away from your website. With few exceptions, you don’t want to link to other websites or resources. These will only take people away from your website. Think carefully about putting Facebook, Google + and LinkedIn links on your website. You want your customers on your website, not 3rd party websites where they will be enticed by ads (even the ads of your savvy competitors).
- Not having a solid online marketing plan. Spend some time to learn about what works and doesn’t work. Allocate resources to online marketing! If you need to take advertising dollars out of the newspaper or yellow pages to develop an effective website and online marketing program, do so! If you need help, hire a professional. After all, this is what you do when you need help with your car, home plumbing and electrical. Do this for your business’ online marketing, too!
The new rules of marketing are not hard, but they do take the willingness to learn. Take some time and look at your competitors and ask other successful business owners what they do. Then begin to make your own online marketing plan. If you need help, get it!