Internet marketing, also known as online marketing or digital marketing, starts with your creative web design. While this may not seem like a marketing technique, your website is the visual tool which grabs your reader’s attention. After successful design, you will need to develop a successful internet marketing strategy to integrate the following internet marketing methods.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) relies heavily on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques. Search engine optimization techniques help your website build organic traffic. Organic traffic is people who are searching for your particular services or products. SEM will increase your visibility and rankings in search engines, while SEO will continually improve those rankings. SEM and SEO techniques work best with other internet marketing methods.
E-mail Marketing
E-mail marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing methods since its cost is close to nothing. Taking the time to write an effective e-mail to convince your readers why they need your product or service will increase your conversion rate. HTML e-mails have an even better rate of conversion. With the look of a web page, readers tend to be more interested. A company must be careful that they do not step over the ethical bounds of e-mail marketing. If they send too many e-mails and the recipients have no prior business relationship with the advertiser then, it could be viewed as e-mail spam.
Pay-Per-Click Marketing
Pay-per-click marketing (PPC) is a technique used primarily by search engines and part of an internet marketing campaign. PPC advertisements are normally small text ads positioned in close proximity to search results. When a search engine user performs a search based on a keyword or phrase, related advertisements are shown as well; usually termed ‘Sponsored Links.’ When a website visitor clicks on the advertisement, the advertiser gets charged a small fee. As the advertiser’s listing is generally in a more prominent position on the search results page than the organic (free) search results, this technique is sometimes called ‘Pay for Placement.‘ The fee charged is known as ‘Cost Per Click’(CPC).
Social Media Marketing
Using social media marketing to gain traffic to your website takes time and coercion. However, word-of-mouth referrals through social media networks are one of the best marketing methods available. By linking your social media accounts, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, to your website, customers can easily share and promote your website and products for you. When a customer has a positive user experience, and they share this with their friends, then their friends will likely come to your website and check it out or share the experience with their friends. Maintaining your website content and keeping your social media networks updated will convince readers you are a trustworthy business.
Content Marketing
Content marketing can be anything from blogs to white papers to e-books. However, maintaining the content and keeping it updated is vital to keeping your readers interested. No one wants to read outdated information, and search engines encourage updated content by increasing your ranking position. Your content should pertain to your industry and business. Regular product updates, new services coming available, common troubleshooting issues, are all excellent areas to start building your content.
Banner Advertising
Banners, when used wisely, creative and does not look like spam, can be an effective marketing method. These advertisements tend to be relatively broad and filled with highly animated flashing graphics and text, often accompanied by sound. They are normally created using Macromedia Flash or by using animated GIFs and link back to the advertiser’s web page when clicked. However, the overuse of banners has led to a reduction in their effectiveness. Web users these days have learned to scan over the banners, searching for the content they desire without really ‘seeing’ the banners. This effect is called Banner Blindness.
Conversion Optimization
Sometimes getting users to your website is the easy part; converting them to customers takes some convincing. You have to prove you are the best in your industry. Providing them with all the information they need and reliable customer service is a step in the right direction.
Flying Cow Design’s web development team has successfully integrated internet marketing strategies for clients improving their success. Contact Flying Cow Design today to begin your marketing strategy and improve your websites rankings and return on investments.
CEO, Flying Cow Design
Attended University of Auckland
Lives in San Francisco Bay Area
