Internet Marketing Strategy & Execution

Do you want to be found in the search engines?  As you may already know, plain old search engine optimization (SEO) is not enough in todays Internet competition. SEO used to work great, back before 2002.  But today you need to take a more comprehensive approach to search engine marketing. We call this comprehensive approach Internet Marketing.

We can help you implement an Internet Marketing program that is flexible, cost effective and proven to work.  Read this short article to find out more about our philosophy and approach to providing outsourced Internet Marketing, then contact us if you'd like to explore working together.

What is Internet Marketing?

Internet Marketing, what is it really? Well, there are many interpretations. Here's ours:

Internet Marketing is the use of the Internet to prospect, advertise, sell, build relationships, inform and provide customer service. Internet Marketing is implemented via a "mix" of "Internet Marketing tactics.

The Tactics of Internet Marketing

You actually put Internet Marketing into practice by blending individual Internet Marketing tactics into a unified online marketing program. Think of these tactics as the building blocks of online success.

Here are a few of today's most popular Internet Marketing tactics.

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Link Building
• Link Baiting
• Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising
• Persuasive Copy & Structure
• Usability improvement
• Ecommerce Best Practices
• Email Marketing
• Community & Social Websites
• Product Reviews
• Shopping Portals
• Folksonomy (del.icio.us, etc.)
• Social media optimization or social bookmarking (Reddit, etc.)
• Topic posting (Squidoo, etc.)
• Syndication
• Blogging
• Article Marketing
• Content Management
• Link Directories
• Forums
• Affiliate Programs...

Choosing the Right Internet Marketing Tactics

Some tactics are great for all websites, for example SEO and link building. You should consider these two tactics essential to your Internet Marketing program. Most businesses need to continuously add new content to their sites to improve SEO and link building.

If you have an ample profit per lead or sale, then you can use the more expensive Internet Marketing tactics such as PPC and Community Building. If your profit margin is more on the slim side, then you need to focus on SEO, link building and less pricey tactics.

Your target market is another key factor in choosing Internet Marketing tactics. If repeat business is important to you, then email marketing and blogging will be essential to staying connected to your customers. If competition is strong, then persuasive copy, shopping portals and in-bound links should be in your arsenal of Internet Marketing tactics.

Bottom line is most websites need a continuous SEO and link-building program that is supplemented by a rotation of select Internet Marketing tactics appropriate for their budget and target market.

Principles for Internet Marketing Success

While there is no magic formula for Internet Marketing success, there are a few simple guiding principles we use for putting into practice an effective Internet Marketing program:

• Recognize and understand that Internet Marketing is not a one-shot deal; it is inherently iterative. In short, it is a process, not a project.
• Do SEO and link building on a regular basis. Check progress!
• Work in other tactics that are suited for your product, industry and market.
• Rotate focus on a monthly basis. For example, concentrate on SEO one month, link-building the next month and persuasive copy the third month. Repeat!
• Check your sites usability and conversion rate every 6-12 months. Make sure your customers can find what they want and take the desired action.

Outsourcing Internet Marketing

Internet Marketing is actually a perfect service to outsource. Why? For the same reasons you hire an attorney or accountant, Internet Marketing is just too specialized and complicated to do yourself or in-house. Also, Internet Marketing tactics are constantly changing, making it too time consuming to keep abreast of current trends. For most Internet businesses it is cost effective to outsource the Internet Marketing program.

What does it cost to outsource Internet Marketing? Of course the answer is "it depends." While costs vary depending on services provided, a typical Internet business can implement effective Internet Marketing for between $400 - $1,500 a month.

Choosing a Internet Marketing Consultant

While you'll definitely want Internet expertise and experience, a competent Internet Marketing consultant should have a blend of the following skills:

• Technical Internet Marketing Skills – Your consultant should possess a strong foundation in the basic tactics of SEO, PPC, email marketing and link building. Experience in other Internet Marketing tactics and technology is a plus.
• Business Marketing Skills – Since Internet Marketing is basically business marketing applied to the Internet, your consultant should have training and experience in general business marketing.
• Adaptability and Innovation – Because the Internet Marketing world is in a constant state of rapid change, your consultant must be flexible, adaptable and on top of the latest trends.
  

As we've discussed, there are many Internet Marketing tactics, many of which are less than a few years old. So your consultant needs to really embrace change and be open to new ideas and new tactics. At PageCafe, we are passionate about Internet Marketing and we are devoted to staying informed on the latest methods and applying them to our client's Internet Marketing programs.

Retainer-based Internet Marketing Consulting

As we stated earlier, Internet Marketing is intrinsically iterative: a process, not a project. So to provide you with effective Internet Marketing, we understand we must provide you with a continuous, consistent level of service.

To make this ongoing service easier to budget and put into action, we offer an "Internet Marketing Retainer" program. Our Retainer provides a constant level of Internet Marketing consulting labor hours each month for a fixed monthly fee. The Retainer ensures your Internet Marketing program gets the iterative attention required for success. Because the Retainer is a fixed monthly fee, it is very simple to budget for and manage your Internet Marketing program.

Communication between the client and consultant is very important to manage expectation and monitor results. The Retainer includes a regular phone meeting to review accomplishments and planned activities. The meetings can be monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly, depending on the desires of the client. We also recommend reviewing your analytics (i.e. web statistics, search engine ranking, links, etc.) as part of this meeting.

The Retainer is a month-to-month contract. We bill in advance for the coming month. There is no long term commitment and you can cancel anytime with a 30 day notice.

Our Internet Marketing Retainer Plan is personalized to meet your objectives. Once we are on Retainer, the first task we will do is create a plan to be used as a guide for your ongoing Internet Marketing Retainer program. This plan will be based first and foremost on your Internet business objectives. To create this plan we will spend time analyzing your goals, your website, your competitors websites, your keywords, your link opportunities, your target market and your constraints (time, budget, effort, etc.). The plan will identify the Internet Marketing tactics to be used and a schedule for implementation.

Example of an Internet Marketing Retainer

Below is an example of how the Internet Marketing Retainer would benefit your businesses over a 6 month period.

• Month 1 – Devise and document your Internet Marketing Plan. Doesn't it feel great to have a plan and know where your Internet Marketing program is headed?
• Month 2 - Search engine visibility and traffic improves by creating optimize landing pages and creating a Google site map.
• Month 3 – Search engine ranking and traffic improves by increasing inbound links. Quality of traffic improves.
• Month 4 – Usability improvements reduce your visitor "bounce rate" and increase conversion rate. These improvements lead to higher ROI and higher profits.
• Month 5 – Page views and visit duration improves by adding a blog to your website. Customer satisfaction also improves.
• Month 6 – Traffic from search engine continues to improve as we continue to add new optimized content and build inbound links.
• Month n – Sustained Internet Marketing efforts maintain and improve your business results and profits.

Benefits of PageCafe Internet Marketing Retainer Program

• Save money by outsourcing versus high cost of hiring in-house
• More confidence in your Internet Marketing program
  
• Increased traffic, conversion rates and web results
• Improved customer loyalty and retention
• Reduced bounce rates and shopping cart abandonment
• Improve the overall customer experience on your website
• Continuous and consistent improvement for your web business
• Monthly cost is fixed simplifying budgeting and management
• Proven expertise ensure expectations are met
  

Complimentary Consultation

If you're interested in outsourcing your Internet Marketing, please give us a call or contact us for a complimentary consultation. Call Al Todd at 719-573-5628 anytime between 9am – 5pm Mountain Time. Thank you for considering PageCafe Internet Consulting, Inc.