Success as an internet marketer is not some mystic art. There is no magical incantation required; nor is it necessary to sell your soul to the devil to achieve it. Inevitably, it is about ‘work’; about doing the right things in the right way. It is just good marketing practice. By following the route laid out by the marketers who have gone before (most of whom are still going strong) and by applying ourselves to the approach that has been proven over the years we will succeed.

My background is in the discipline of classical music. One question all musicians are regular asked is: “How do you get your fingers to move so quickly?” The answer is always the same: – “Practice!” Internet marketing is no different. Find out what you need to do and then practise until you can do it. In the world of music there have been many authoritative tomes written on the art of practising an instrument. One phrase which regularly crops up is – “intelligent repetition”. The only way to solve a technical problem is to play it over and over again. This, of course, is boring! The way we get round it is to keep playing the problematic note sequence, but we mess around with it. We might change the rhythm, the articulation, the dynamic, the speed, etc. etc. which keeps the work interesting whilst applying ourselves to the problem. There are no shortcuts; the work must be done and the skills practised to get where we want to go. Bear that analogy in mind when approaching the various issues you will meet in running an online business.

There are strategies and tactics which have been developed since the marketing potential of the internet was first realised, aspects of the business which work just as effectively today as at any stage in the past.. In this article I will look at some of these key elements.

Websites obviously play a significant role in our online marketing. Always go for simplicity in any website. Each website should basically have one single purpose. Every product or service you offer should have its own website. Never confuse your visitors by presenting them with a visual explosion of colour, pictures and graphics with links splattered all over every page. Keep the design clear and relevant to the job in hand. If you are looking to attract subscribers, the opt-in form should be the most prominent thing on your page. Your webpage copy should direct your visitors to it and encourage them to sign up, which we usually do with a free offer of some kind. With a product page, the sales material should be emotive and crafted to make the sale.

When offering free reports or eBooks to encourage subscribers, always provide real quality. It is your initial contact with a potential customer so it is your first opportunity to make an impression. If your free gift is poor and of little value, your subscribers will not remain subscribers for long. They will certainly not come back to make a purchase. The ideal placement for your free offer and opt-in form is in the top right corner of your webpage where it is immediately apparent to any visitor.

Once a visitor has subscribed to your list you will need to have set up a sequence of autoresponder messages to begin the process of building a relationship with that subscriber. It is well known that it takes a number of contacts with a subscriber before they are likely to make a purchase; seven contacts is the figure often quoted. In addition to working with your list, continue to promote your products by any means with which you are comfortable. Writing and posting articles to direct people to your offers is always a good technique – and FREE.

So, to sum up:

Keep your websites simple and specific

Work to build your list and keep your subscribers happy

Get traffic to visit your web pages