Marketing Your Business Online

If you’re not already marketing your business online, then it’s time to start! Although there are a few exceptions, just about every business can benefit from online marketing. There are just so many advantages to this type of marketing that I’m not really sure where to begin. I’ll just start by jumping right in…

Let me start by first saying that it’s extremely affordable to market your business online, I guess that’s the main benefit. Other advantages to marketing your business online include the ability to reach a large target audience, the ability to reach potential customers all over the world and the ability to customize the marketing for different sectors of the target audience.

The affordability of internet marketing is one of many reasons why many individuals and small business owners are turning to the internet for advertising. And when you consider how many potential customers you can reach with your marketing campaign, the cost of advertising online is incredibly cheap!

You can also choose quite a few methods of online advertising that do not have any direct costs (other than your time). For example, you may choose to market your business online by participating in industry forums and posting links to your website whenever it is appropriate to do so. In this case the cost of creating and maintaining the website is insignificant in comparison to the number of potential clients you could reach through those links and the online marketing. Additionally, the costs associated with posting links to your website are incidental. I guess you technically could consider the cost of having access to the internet as part of the cost but most likely you already have internet access and if that’s the case no real additional cost are incurred.

Reaching a large target audience is another very worthwhile reason for marketing your business online. You may have spent a great deal of time and energy doing market research and determine who your target audience is. You may have also spent a great deal of time trying to figure out the best way to reach this audience. This is a very sound marketing principle but as it applies to marketing on local television, radio and print media it only allows you to reach a limited audience. However, when you take your marketing to the “world wide web” you automatically increase your potential target audience drastically because you now have the ability to reach members of your target audience in areas outside of your local media area.

This ability to reach out and get customers around the world is yet another major advantage to marketing your business online. Regardless of where you live and operate your business, you have the ability to reach those who have an interest in the products you sell or the services you provide no matter where they live. This makes it possible for you to do business with customers pretty much anywhere!

And if you have a product or business that’s online you’ve got an automated business. That’s another great thing about the internet, it never shuts down! Its available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days in the year. So even when you’re sleeping your product or business can still keep producing income for you.

And guess what? There are tons of people who actually prefer shopping for their products and services online because doing so in person may be difficult. This is especially true for individuals who work long hours or those who work unusual hours. Their working conditions make it difficult for them to do business during regular business hours. And if you have an online presence, to them you are much more convenient to work with because unlike stores and calling centers, your website never closes. This convenience gives potential customers the ability to view products and services, compare them to those offered by competitors, and make their purchase at any hour on any day.

If you’re a business owner whose reading this article and you do not already have a strong online presence, then you need to immediately start learning more about the world of internet marketing. This is so important because if your competitors are marketing online, you may find they are gaining a steady advantage and are becoming more appealing to your potential customers. Before too many of your potential customers become loyal customers of the competition isn’t it time to start figuring out how you can market your business online so you can keep up with them?

To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!

Pam Lawhorne

Pam Lawhorne is a serial entrepreneur, small business expert and creative marketing consultant, who provides advice, guidance, and encouragement to aspiring CEO's around the nation in her popular seminars and publications. She is the Chief Empowerment Officer of Empower U, Incorporated, a training and consulting firm that specializes in interactive workshops, seminars and coaching programs.

Ms. Lawhorne is the author of “From Minimum Wage To Getting Paid! - How To Become A Successful Entrepreneur With No Money, Education Or Experience!" and she is also a syndicated columnist who writes articles on empowerment, entrepreneurship, personal development, creative marketing and real estate investing. Her articles appear nationally in newspapers, magazines, and on numerous business websites and on-line publications. For additional information please visit her website: www.PamLawhorne.com.

The above article is copyright 2003-2008 by Pam Lawhorne. Permission to repost is freely granted so long as the text is not altered in any way, and the copyright and links are included.