| 1. When describing your product or service to your | | | | both short and easy to remember. Don't use a domain |
| readers and prospects, always list the benefits not the | | | | name like "freemarketingmagicadvice." Try to use a 2 |
| features of what you are trying to sell. People are | | | | word name. |
| emotional buyers and one of the main questions they | | | | 7. Now for an interesting marketing statistic: The |
| ask themselves when they visit your website is "How | | | | average internet surfer will only wait about 7 seconds |
| will this benefit me?" Let me give you an example of | | | | for your website to load. If your website doesn't load in |
| the difference between features and benefits. A | | | | 7 seconds, they will leave. So, what to do? Avoid using |
| feature would be something like "The new Cinco | | | | animations, videos, and graphics. Also, avoid using |
| razorblade has 5 blades." On the other hand, a benefit | | | | sounds if possible. If you must use any of the above, |
| would be "The new Cinco razor is the first on the | | | | use them very sparingly. One or two pictures or |
| market to offer 5 blades for a more thorough, clean | | | | graphics is ok. Just remember that your website's |
| shave with a protective surface to reduce the risk of | | | | content is way more important than how pretty your |
| cutting yourself." Do you see how it is better to list | | | | website looks. Your internet shoppers are searching |
| benefits? People don't care about a description of the | | | | for quality content. |
| product. They just want to know how the product will | | | | 8. I would like to mention another way to increase your |
| give them more pleasure and avoid painful irritations in | | | | website's loading speed. Use a website template that |
| their lives. | | | | contains a lot of "tables." They range anywhere in size |
| 2. Never try to sell your readers anything right away | | | | from little squares to giant rectangles that take up your |
| when they visit your website. We all know about | | | | whole screen. These are a much better alternative to |
| those pushy sales people who scare people away. | | | | use than graphic images and pictures as they will help |
| They make the mistake of not first establishing trust | | | | your website load faster. For further information on |
| and credibility with their leads and prospects. When | | | | "tables," ask any website designer about them. |
| writing a sales letter on your website, always publish | | | | 9. This may seem tempting and cost effective but |
| free and educational content first. "Content" is free, | | | | avoid cluttering up your website with 2 or more |
| educational, informative, and useful advice related to | | | | businesses. It's ok to have 2 or 3 products on your |
| your industry that your readers would normally pay | | | | website as long as they are related and part of the |
| cash for. Educate your readers first and then | | | | same business. Cramming several products and |
| discreetly add a link to your sales letter. This way, the | | | | businesses on the same website will only confuse |
| readers will feel that they trust and know you and are | | | | your readers. They will then leave your website more |
| much more likely to buy from you. | | | | quickly than you can snap your fingers. People just |
| 3. Focus on your target or niche market. If you have a | | | | don't want to take the time to sort through a bunch of |
| specific product or service, you wouldn't want to | | | | different categories. |
| advertise in a newspaper publication like U.S.A. Today | | | | 10. Free advertising is free for a reason. The best |
| simply because advertising costs would be too high | | | | advice I can offer you is to not do it. There are several |
| and chances are that most of the readers won't | | | | exceptions but for the most part you'll want to avoid it. |
| necessarily have an interest in what you're offering. | | | | I will tell you several reasons why. One, your |
| For example, a person selling fishing rods would want | | | | prospective customers just aren't going to take you |
| to advertise in a place like a fisher's magazine. He | | | | seriously if they think that you can't afford a 5 dollar |
| knows that people who read fishing magazines would | | | | online classified ad. Furthermore, many scammers will |
| very likely be interested in his products. If you were | | | | advertise in the free classified section and you can |
| selling equipment related to bass fishing, you could be | | | | easily be mistaken for them. Two, the people you got |
| even more specific about your target audience and | | | | the advertising from aren't obligated to post your ad in |
| advertise in a bass fishing magazine. The key is to | | | | a certain time frame and you may wait months before |
| target your audience as specifically as possible. | | | | your ad appears. Finally, although it may seem like you |
| 4. When writing your ads, keep them focused on the | | | | have nothing to lose with free advertising, you'll actually |
| reader more than yourself. Remember that the | | | | find that you're wasting your time with a method that |
| readers just ask themselves "What will this do for | | | | doesn't work. Time is our most precious resource as |
| me?" In the world of marketing, it's just a fact that your | | | | business people. If you want to advertise for free, try |
| readers care more about themselves than they do | | | | doing a joint venture. Contact another website that |
| you. It's not that they're selfish; they just want to know | | | | sells a similar product or service. Ask them if they will |
| how they will benefit and don't care as much about | | | | do a mass mailing to their list for you in exchange for a |
| your success story. Avoid using words like "I, You, Me, | | | | percentage of the profits. This method certainly |
| and We." Rather, use words like "You, Yours, You're, | | | | can'thurt! |
| Your, and You'll." | | | | I have vastly enjoyed sharing my knowledge with all of |
| 5. Always make sure that your domain name ends in | | | | you wonderful aspiring and existing business people. |
| .com. A .com domain has been around the longest. | | | | The aforementioned advice will greatly benefit your |
| People take it more seriously than the other | | | | internet marketing campaign if you have the |
| extensions and will trust a website more if it is a .com. | | | | determination, resourcefulness, consistency, and |
| Giant corporations use this extension. | | | | persistence to run an effective online business. |
| 6. When choosing a domain name, make sure that it is | | | | |