If you have a website for your business, it could be necessary to find online marketing important or choose to hire one so as to get maximum return on it.

What is the use of a functional website when no one knows it exist let alone propelling conversion? No matter how attractive a site or compelling the call to action (CTA) and services offered, there won’t be lead that could be funnel and nurtured through the buying circle until sales happen except targeted audience (people) visit the website. This is the true essence of why good online marketing is important.

We are all in business to make money, but the differentiating factor why few people will continue to make money while others will be struggling to keep their business is determined by the level of marketing spin employed that is yielding result.

I guess I’ve confused you with the ambiguity of these terms. Let us get down to the main point and align the specifics so that we can be on the same page.

What is online marketing?

There are so many definitions for this most sort after profession among business personnel especially the SEO gurus. For me, the definition they gave is too broad and scientific. Let’s come down to our level as a layman wanting to use the power of internet to enhance a business tremendously.

Online marketing is simply the array of tools and creativity employed to make people patronize your product or services via the internet“.

This term is the same as internet marketing, online advertising, web marketing, I-marketing, E-marketing, etc.

Why your business need online marketing

It is stalled news that prospective customer use internet to search for product and services long before taking the buying decision. Needless to say they seek to be well informed about the product they want to buy before heading to the store or stuffing out their credit card online. They are therefore influenced by the brands they interacted with.

You can also testify to the fact that people irrespective of gender or age congregate around social media networks to connect, share content and interact with one another; building relationship all the way. What a veritable platform to showcase your brand if you ask me.

These and many more are ways in which you can tap into the power of internet through online marketing that will help place your brand eyeball to eyeball with your targeted customer. Won’t you rather want to know how to be good at it?

Top 10 simple ways to become a good online marketer

1. Be unique: This is the first key to unlock the flood gate of traffic online. You must dare to be different before people you want to attract can notice you because the number of people doing almost the same thing is huge and the crowd is already pulled to known brands. What will get you noticed is the distinguishing factor in your creativity.

2. Be creative: The fact that you have the best product does not mean it will sell. Product can’t sell itself. It is the way and manner the product communicates to the need of prospective customer that will determine sales at the end of the day. This requires some level of creativity.

3. Get a mentor: We all need a mentor in every sphere of life we find ourselves if we desire to soar high in life. We need someone we believe in that can guide us through, tapping from his wealth of experience. Online marketing is no difference.

4. Create quality content: A website that does not maintain active blog under-rates the influence of digital content in business. People among which is your targeted audience are hungry for information. They want to know the how, why and what about your product before they buy.

Gone are the days of blind purchase where seller is the king. Whether you provide this information or not, there are thousands of resources available at their finger tips because your competitors are already giving them what they want. So, be wise!

5. Know that your audience|customers are the king: This goes with the cliché that says; ‘he who pays the piper, dictates the tune’. Yes, customers’ request must be treated like king’s errand. Remember you’re in business because of them.

6. Establish presence on social networking sites: This is important because that is where your targeted audience converges daily. Just ensure you identify the ones they use most often as it would be practically insane to be on all available social media and expect to get the best result.

7. Advertise your brand: I discovered lately that to have a measure of breakthrough online, you have to spend at least some money. You’ll be left struggling and wasting much time and energy going the free way.

There is nothing actually free anywhere except perhaps informative content. So, be ready to advertise your product and services on Google and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

8. Master the art of SEO: Search engine optimization is really the heart and mind of online marketing. SEO is broad and goes beyond the scope of this post. The best I can do is to refer you to materials and resources that will help you understand SEO and how it can make significant difference in your online business.

9. Be willing to learn always: There are many things to learn, from PPC to web analytics, SEO, Adword, Social media, email marketing, etc. Apart from these, there hasn’t been a sure way to market online. All efforts still boil down to try and error.

What works well for a particular website might repel audience in another site of even the same niche. The salient point is to always learn to understand your audience and give them what they need at all times.

10. Be data driven: By this I mean the ability to draw inferences from data collated that would aid future decision. The basis for direction initiated by creative ideas should stem from proper interpretation of data collected. This is part of the reasons why I fell in love with Quick Sprout blog by Neil Patel.

Conclusion: It is not really easy to become a good online marketer, but with consistent effort to learning new things all the time and the willingness to creatively do things a little different would continually accelerate the process. The basic reason for all this is to get sales at the end of the day while serving the customer effectively. What do you think?

Image Credit: advertisingideas101

Francis 'Toke
Shares
Share This