For most of you the internet is
somewhat a mystery. Your web site is your online business and you need to run
it like a business.
Like any business, it takes time to build, don't be fooled that you can build
a successful business overnight on the internet, it will not happen, but the
good thing about the internet is it can be allot quicker than other
businesses.
Each business has different
successful promotional actions. The same holds true for any web site. You just
need to find which promotional actions are successful for your web site and
continue to do it.
Out of all of the people that have failed with their internet business, is
most likely because they did not promote their site properly and regularly.
Like most people that come onto the web, they first think that if they build a
web site they will come.
Then they find out this is not true and they don't know how people are going
to find their web sites, it becomes a mystery. They surf around and get tons
of information, some good, some not so good.
Most people think that "Well I'm just going to go into these search
engines and that's enough." They submit their site, their site goes in
and then they sit back and wait. They might get a little trickle here and
there but not enough to make it worth their while. So they throw their hands
up in the air and say I guess the internet works for everyone but me.
Has this happened to you? If so you can still turn your web site around and
make it successful.
The key - Run it like a
business. Continue to promote your site every day, every week, every
chance you get. Don't stop promoting- if you stopped promoting your business
right now your business would disappear, maybe not tomorrow But
nevertheless it would die. So come hell or high-water those promotional
actions get done every chance you get.
You wouldn't even think of not promoting or advertising your off-line
business, so why would you think you do not have to do the same for your
online business?
When it comes to the web,
Think in terms of a business. I know that coming on to the web can be
intimidating. But if you look at it from a business viewpoint, it gets very
exciting. You will begin to see it grow.
Below is a breakdown on some good general tips on how to make your site more
successful.
1) Your web site is your store:
It is not your billboard to advertise your business, it is not your print ad
either, but it is your store.
Where people from all over the world can come and see your services and
products and buy.
2) Your Homepage:
This is your window display, do you have the content that will grab your
public's attention and compel them to open the door and come inside?
3) Have you put in all the basic
promotional actions for your site. Have you submitted your site to the
search engines? Newsgroup postings? Reciprocal linking? From these basic
promotional actions, did you find out which works best for you?
4) Now that you know which is the
most successful, are you doing this on a regular basis?
5) Have you looked around and put
yourself into new search engines? There are new search engines that pop up all
the time. One goes away and a new one pops up in it's place. Maybe you
submitted your site automatically? But did you know that there are over 2500
search engines/directories that you have to submit manually to get your URL in
there? Did you post to free classifieds ads?
6) Are you keeping track and
monitoring your hits, (visitors from your site)? If you only keeping track of
sales and your sales are low, you missed a few steps. Remember in an off-line
business you would keep track of the number of visitors or inquires you were
receiving and check that against your sales to get your closing ratio. You
would know that if you were getting lots of people and little sales the sales
closing ratio would be low and therefore get another salesperson or figure out
why the sales are low and fix the problem. If the reverse is happening, a
small portion of people are coming into your store or inquiring and you are
closing 1 out of 2 - you have a high closing ratio, so you know that all you
have to do to increase sales is increase the people that are coming into your
store or increase your inquiries. Same thing holds true for a web site, but
how can you find out which to increase or fix, promotion or sales? You can't
if you don't monitor and track your hits and visitors. I'll break it down even
further: Sales are down, here's what you do: If
hits/visitors are down- then promote, if hits/visitors are up- then
change your sales pitch on your site so it is more effective.
No matter what type of service or product you have online, if you run
your web site like a business it will succeed. Just remember, stick
to basics and old fashion know-how.