Learn how to use the same online marketing tactics and strategies that major corporations use - for a fraction of the cost! Large companies have big budgets for online marketing. But what's the difference between a GBP 100,000 campaign and a GBP 1,000 campaign? Surprisingly, not much! This book teaches small-business operators how to achieve big-business marketing success on a small-business budget. Fully revised and updated to take advantage of new and emerging technology and trends, this volume takes readers behind the scenes of successful marketing campaigns and shows small-business owners how they can adapt those strategies to their own needs and budget. For anyone looking to attract attention to their small business on the web with only modest outlay, this book will show how.
INTRODUCTION xi1 THE BENEFITS OF ONLINE MARKETING 1What Is Online Marketing? 2Prerequisites for Successful Online Marketing 2Adequate human resources 3Consistent communication 4To sell or not to sell online 5What Sells and What Doesn't Sell Online 62 ATTRACTING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE 11What Are the Characteristics of Your Ideal Customer? 11How to Target Different Types of Audiences 12Women want to save time and money 13Seniors prefer simple sites 13Teens represent a large, racially diverse generation 14Get the Word out through Those You Know 15How to Personalize Your Website 16Learn from Amazon.com 17Organize and customize content 18Focus on the customer 19Testing Your Website's Appeal to Your Target Audience 19Banner Ads Rely on Placement 203 CREATE EFFECTIVE CONTENT 25Survey Demonstrates Importance of the Web 25Key Components of Great Web Content 26Low-Cost Ways to Generate Fresh Content 28Dangers of Changing Your Home Page Too Much 29Visitors could become confused 30You could hurt your search engine position 30Benefits of a Flexible Home Page 31Test campaigns and track successes 31Keep focused on your target audience 32Keeping Content Fresh with a Blog 32Ways to Generate Content If You Don't Write 33Buy content 33Have customers generate content 34Link to other sources of content 354 GENERATE FREE ADVERTISING 37Pinpoint Marketing versus Interruptive Marketing 37What is pinpoint marketing? 38Day-part marketing 38Embedding Marketing Messages in Content 39Establishing Credibility 40How to get your content onto other sites 40Swapping Advertising 41How to Generate Word-of-Mouth, Viral Marketing 41Offer something for free 43Utilize message boards and chatrooms 43vi LOW-BUDGET ONLINE MARKETING FOR SMALL BUSINESSCONTENTS viiChoose a memorable domain name 44Small Businesses Go Social to Generate Free Advertising 45Consider Location-Based Applications and Websites 465 EMAIL MARKETING 49Stats to Support Email Marketing 49Permission-Based versus Spam Email 50Building Your Email List 51Goal-Oriented Marketing 53Email Newsletters 53Content ideas 54Why short is sweet 54Timing and frequency 55Email List Hosting Services 56Testing and templates 56Tracking success 57Targeted content 57Writing an Effective Subject Line 58Taking a tip from viruses 60Learning what works 616 BUILDING AN ONLINE COMMUNITY 67What Are Online Communities and Why Are They Important? 68Community-Building Technology and Ideas 68Message boards 68Content 69Calendars 70Contests 70Chatrooms 71LivePerson instant messaging 71Community Editors 72Buying Ad Space on Other Community Websites 73Using Online Communities to Assist with Customer Support 737 CO-BRANDING STRATEGIES 77Why Co-Branding Is Different Online 78Integrating Partnerships into Your Website 78The Power of Co-Branding 80Co-Branding Guidelines 81How to Integrate Partner Products 84Do it right the first time 84Take a tip from newspapers 85Complementary Partnerships Work Best 858 GETTING TO THE TOP OF THE SEARCH ENGINES 89Choosing the Right Keywords 90Optimizing Your Website 90Home page text 90HTML tags 91Flash pages, image maps, and heavy graphics 94Redirects, pop-ups, and pop-unders 95Back buttons 95Text links 95Site maps 95Frames 96Link Popularity 96Keeping Content Up-to-Date 99Positioning Your Website in the Local Market 99How YouTube Helps Your Ranking 100How Long Does It Take? 101Paying for Positioning 102Success with Keywords 102CPC versus CPM ad buys 102The use of landing pages 103Writing effective ad copy 1039 COST-EFFECTIVE MEDIA-BUYING STRATEGIES 107CPM, CPC, and CPA Ad Buys 107Testing, Testing, Testing 108viii LOW-BUDGET ONLINE MARKETING FOR SMALL BUSINESSCONTENTS ixHow to Make a Banner Ad Successful 109Target Your Ads for Success 110Track Results 111The Power of Customer Referral 11210 BASICS OF GOOD WEB DESIGN 115Simple Sites Are Best 115Keep the User in Mind 116Guidelines for Effective Web Design 11611 WORKING WITH YOUR WEB DEVELOPER 125Stay Away from Technical Lingo 125Be Prepared and Define Your Goals 126Use Examples of Other Sites 126Get 24/7 Tech Support 126Put Everything in Writing 127Keep Your Developer Informed 127The Price of Web Design 12712 THE POWER OF THE WEB 129The Internet Reaches Everyone 129Crossing the economic barrier 130Breaking the language barrier 130What this means for your small business 131Key Points about Online Marketing 131REFERENCES 133WORKSHEETS1 Discovering Your Target Audience 222 Planning Your Email Campaign 653 Finding the Right Co-Branding Partner 874 Search Engine Submission Readiness Check 1055 Testing Your Website for Usability 1196 Rate Your Website's Marketability 122
