Unexposure: Creating a brand online or hiding in the shadows

posted in: Stuff

There is a growing awareness of the need to go online. Most business owners today understand that you have to be online to even exist. The question that most of these business owners have is: Is it really for me? Or as an extension, if I go online, will I be able to sell? Is people really looking for my product online?

We tend to confuse online marketing with creating websites. And even though creating a website is an important decision and can be a powerful tool for your product’s marketing, it is hardly the only way to market online. The internet has more than websites, it is used for email, for social communication, for information and for entertainment.

A lot of times, small businesses don’t even need to have a full blown website, what they really need is a blending of their regular sales activities with the tools that internet offers.

Not having an online presence is the worst mistake ever. Hiding in your office pretending that you don’t need a presence online because of fear of exposure is not a smart move. Some businesses don’t need to do much marketing as the sales are owner driven, meaning the owner connects with possible clients as part of another activity or similar situations. These are obviously situations where the business is so small that it is only a one man shop. For larger businesses, utilizing the internet as part of the marketing strategies helps boost the sales process.

So, here the five signals that you need an online marketing strategy:

  1. You have a sales funnel that needs to be constantly fed.
  2. You depend on new clients as well as old ones and need to nurture relations to generate up-selling and cross-selling.
  3. Your business deserves to be bigger and meaner.
  4. You have ever heard a customer ask, how can I find you online? When trying to find your address or information about your products.
  5. Your competition is online and crushing it. Or they are not there and you can take the lead being the first

There are many reasons why a business can and should go online. What matters is that considering what online strategy can be applied to facilitate your business is always a great strategy. One more thing, with a proper internet marketing strategy, your customer service experience may be enhanced and provide a greater product experience to your customers, thus generating more sales and positive word of mouth effects.