In Internet Marketing Part 2 we went over the huge possibilities that using your email can bring to your business. Now I would like to talk a little bit about another way to get your products/services as well as your web site out to the masses.
Imagine a commercial that runs 24/7
Anyone familiar with being online knows that when you visit many sites now days you are going to see some form of advertising. One of the most common forms is the web banner. The web banner is an embedded image that is always linked to the web site of the product/service being advertised. So for example you are visiting your favorite pop culture blog, and in the far right corner you see a picture of a Honda Accord. Click on that picture and you will most likely be visiting www.honda.com.
Web sites that get a massive amount of traffic will always get the most popular brands advertising on their page. Like a commercial on radio and television, major corporations pay big bucks to be placed on popular web sites. The concept being that while people surf the web, their attention span is short and they naturally start clicking on any image that seems interesting.
Small businesses and others (artists, bloggers, etc) who want to promote their web site can use this same concept by working with like minded people. You may not have the initial cash flow to pay for your web banner to be placed on www.cbs.com , but you can find other start ups and agree to exchange placement of each other's banners. The possibility of a landscaping company and a cleaning service working together to share a customer base makes a lot of senses. The same can go for two bloggers who share the same politically ideologies or two rappers from the same city. Remember to find like minded people Twitter and Facebook are a great start.
Pay Per Click is another affordable option.
Creative Drive - Web Development Company blogger Addolorata Ippolito describes PPC as "an approach to online advertising that requires advertisers to pay a set fee when someone clicks on their sponsored ad." She continues, "These paid ads are displayed above and alongside organic links in search engine results pages." So simply put, if you sale iPod accessories and a person searches the word iPod, there is a great chance your ad will pop up. The best part of this program is that if the person does not click on the ad, you are not charged.
The most popular PPC is Google AdWords, which basically set the standard in the industry on this form of advertising. Google is the most popular search engine in the world, so the amount of people that can potentially see an ad is unimaginable.
Facebook also offers a very popular PPC program. With over 400 Million users and counting, Facebook will have the customer base you are looking for. We can also not forget the rumors of Facebook developing its very own fully functional email system. Advertising on Facebook at that point well be without question the most powerful tool on the internet (well at least in this writer's opinion).
Web banners and Pay Per Click ads are very important tools and along with a well put together email marketing plan, can really take your web site to the next level.
That is it for part 3 of my Internet Marketing Series. In Part 4, the importance of having a blog on your website will be the topic at hand.