Advantage Internet Marketing

Maryland Web Design and Internet Marketing

Resources: Internet Marketing Tips

Tip #6 Use a comparison chart on your site to show a competitive advantage

Any differentiating or superior attribute of your product or service should be exploited and displayed side by side with your competitors to position your product, service, or business as a better choice than your competitor. Use an easy-to-read format, clear labels, and a chart organization that leads the reader easily to the conclusion that they should purchase from you, not your competitor. A highly effective and often-used approach is that of listing potential features of a product or service and then placing corresponding check marks showing which product or service has which features; list desirable features that your competitor lacks, thus showing your strengths and your competitor's weaknesses. (Positioning)

Tip #5 Make it blatantly obvious on your home page what your business offers

Web users will arrive at your web site through a number of ways, for a number of reasons. Make sure, through words and images, that your business products or service offerings are clearly communicated as well as what makes your business different. Both show and tell customers why they should do business with you. (Positioning)

Tip #4 Conduct Market Testing when sending out broadcast E-mails

Most decent broadcast e-mail software and services allow for real-time measurement of e-mailing results. Be sure to take advantage of this feature by testing various elements of a bulk e-mail campaign, such as subject heading, e-mail copy, and product features, such as price. It's a good idea to test a small part of your e-mail list to determine which version gets higher click-throughs and that result in more customers. For example, send out half of a test sample with a first subject line, the other half with another subject line. After measuring results, you can send out the version with the higher-response subject line to the rest of your list. This will ensure that your entire e-mail marketing effort is more successful. (E-mail)

Tip #3 Update your web site regularly with content and features of interest.

By updating your web site consistently with relevant content to your target audience, you will increase your site traffic by providing additional reason and incentive for users to visit more often. The more regularly you update your site and the more interesting the content, the better. Update daily if possible and be sure that the updated content is prominently displayed and marked as "New" or "Updated". Soon, you'll have a faithful audience coming back for more. (Development)

Tip #2 Submit your site to as many relevant web directories as possible.

Many web site users seek out subject-related web directories to find specific information. When you add the fact that many "search engines" have a large directory component to them, directory submission is an important part of web site promotion. Be sure to start with the largest directories, Yahoo! (yahoo.com) and DMOZ (dmoz.org) and hit all of the directories for your business; search Google for related directories by typing in the subject area of your site and the word "directory". (Promotion)

Tip #1 Use your business name clearly and consistently on each page of your web site.

Your business name is an important part of your business. Make sure that your business name is clearly represented above the fold (part of web page read without scrolling), is readable, and is consistently used throughout your site. Avoid using different forms of your business name; this can lead to confusion and works against reinforcing your business name in your site visitor's mind. (Branding)