5 Fatal Internet Marketing Mistakes That Can KILL The Sales And Profits In Your Business

5 Fatal Internet Marketing Mistakes That Can KILL The Sales And Profits In Your Business

Over the last decade we've experienced a radical shift in the way we seek out information and in the way we shop.

10 years ago people were afraid of buying on the internet.

Only a minority of people even had an internet connection.

And only a very small minority of people communicated by email.

What an astonishing difference a decade makes...

The majority of people in the western world are now connected to the internet in some way...

And a very good percentage of those have high speed internet...

Nearly everyone you know...young, old and in between...is communicating regularly by email.

And nearly everyone you know has now purchased something online using their credit card or paypal or both.

The change is even more radical than that...

A huge percentage of the population with disposable income to spend are now:

# Searching online for products, services and other information...

# Shopping online or making initial inquiries online to the businesses they're interested in shopping at.

# Communicating online in a huge variety of ways. Email is just the tip of the iceberg. Your prospects and customers are using online chat services, voice communication like Skype and MSN messenger and even online web cams to communicate to each other with video.

# They're getting an ever increasing volume of their entertainment and social outlet online with the explosion of online video and social networking sites.

Put simply if you're not using the internet as part of your business marketing strategy you're missing a fundamental and vital media AND a vital means of communication.

The internet is increasingly replacing media like newspapers, radio and television AND it's already becoming a more effective, more economical means of communication than regular mail and the telephone.

Let's put what that means in perspective for your business in...

Fatal Marketing Mistake # 1: Running Your Business Without Actively Using The Internet Is Worse Than Trying To Run Your Business Without A Telephone Or A Mailing Address

Not using the internet actively as part of your marketing strategy is like no longer accepting mail or using the telephone and never advertising in the yellow pages, on the radio, in newspapers, on television or by mail.

And it's like all these things combined.

No intelligent business owner would try to do business without a telephone and an address to receive mail.

But if you're trying to run your business without an internet marketing and communication strategy over time you'll find that your marketing and communication become less and less effective as the internet takes over more and more of our communication and media tasks.

Of course many savvy business owners have realized that they can no longer afford to ignore the internet as a marketing and communication channel...

But many take well intentioned but poor advice and fall for fatal marketing mistake # 2...

Fatal Marketing Mistake # 2: Putting up a "pretty sign" on the internet instead of aiming for real results.

The marketing power of the internet is in the way you actively communicate with your prospects and customers.

There are plenty of great looking websites on the internet that do little or nothing to actually help grab the attention of your prospects and move them forward in your sales and marketing process.

What you're looking for is genuine results...not a pretty website.

In most cases a plain looking website that delivers the right kind of marketing message at the right time to your prospects or customers will make you more sales and profits than any fancy looking website ever could.

There are literally hundreds of tools and strategies you can use online to increase your marketing effectiveness.

You need to worry less about how your website looks and more about how it changes the behavior of your prospects and clients.

To help your business make real sales and profits you need a "direct response" website that's designed to either get sales or move your prospects forward in the sales process.

In the same way if you're using a website to follow up with customers then you need to use it to create repeat sales and referrals for your business or at the very least to increase customer satisfaction and provide added value by delivering useful information online.

Creating an effective internet marketing campaign is not about fancy graphics...it's about getting real results for your business.

And in many cases you can start to get results very quickly. The reason most websites and attempts at internet marketing fail is due to...

Fatal Marketing Mistake # 3: Not Capitalizing On Resources You Already Have In Your Business.

In business we often make the mistake of looking for some magic bullet...an amazing idea that will explode our sales and profits...

But most business owners never realize they're sitting on an absolute gold mine right there in their business.

When you start using internet marketing effectively it also opens up other avenues for integrating your marketing on the internet and your regular sales and marketing.

"Most businesses are sitting on an untapped gold mine..."

It's right there in the customers you already have and the prospects who come into contact with your business every day.

In many cases trying to follow up with prospects and customers can be expensive and impractical.

But when you start using the overwhelming power of the internet to deliver information almost free of charge the possibilities for follow up, customer education, pre-educating prospects and a whole range of other strategies become very exciting.

Another advantage most business owners have is the physical resources you already have in place.

You can already take money from customers, you probably have staff, business premises, telephones, possibly products and a whole range of other resources that you can integrate into an effective online/offline marketing mix.

This mixing of strategies...using the power of the internet as a means of delivering information then combining that with the physical resources you already have...can multiply your results radically.

But understand that effective internet marketing is a process. Don't be sucked into a pipe dream...

Fatal Marketing Mistake # 4: Thinking All You Need Is A Website And You'll Make A Million Bucks!

The internet is another form of communication.

It's a very powerful way to communicate with people on the other side of town and on the other side of the world.

You can do all kinds of things automatically...provide lead generating reports, audio and video, send out series of emails to prospects and clients with valuable information they've asked for automatically...

In many businesses you can even take orders and payments online automatically (although that may not be the most profitable course of action).

"Using the internet effectively can be an amazing addition to your marketing mix..."

But you wouldn't expect to buy a store on the main street and watch hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits roll in without having to do some serious work.

And it's the same on the internet.

You don't just set up a website and make a million bucks. Anyone trying to sell you that pipe dream is simply trying to scam you.

The good news is you CAN use the internet to make some serious sales and profits and enhance a whole range of different facets of your business...especially in the area of information delivery, finding and following up with prospects and clients and adding new dimensions of live communication with prospects and clients.

But to do that does take some work and expertise and it's a process of trial and error that may take some time.

You're going to need the help of a committed expert to make it happen.

Sales don't just come to you magically on the internet...although it might feel like that if you can hire the right internet marketing expert to work with you.

Having said that the next mistake should be obvious to you...

Fatal Marketing Mistake # 5: Thinking You Can Do It All Yourself...

The internet is changing fast and skilled marketers are working and researching full time to keep up.

We have close ties with teams of experts and friends who do nothing else but work all day in their chosen fields of expertise getting the best results possible with their internet marketing expertise.

We hone and refine our approach and test new strategies.

We talk together on paid private forums and share secrets that others won't discover for years...if they ever do.

When you're running your business there's simply no way in the world you can put that kind of commitment into mastering the internet marketing world or even mastering a small part of it.

Even more important, you already have a stack of other tasks and projects that you KNOW could help your business. But you never get around to them.

You don't need more work and more tasks that you simply don't have the time to get finished.

You don't need a consultant or advisor to tell you what to do. Let's face it...you just don't have the time...even to implement good advice.

"What you need is someone to do this vital internet marketing FOR you..."

You need a skilled expert with an army of resources who can get things done for you and focus on getting the results you want.

Every day you ignore the internet marketing in your business is costing you real money.

But right now I'm going to give you a chance to talk to a real professional and if you act quickly I'm going to give you $500 in value as your complimentary gift...

Your $500 Gift...

As an internet marketing consultant I work for my clients implementing strategies for them.

A large percentage of the solutions I provide are "hands off" meaning I do the work and you just tell me about the results you're getting (hopefully a whole lot more sales and profits).

I also look for very simple things you and your staff can do in your business...often immediately...to increase the real money you're making.

My time is limited but if you act right now I am going to give you 2 full hours of my time...one on one with you.

We'll talk about your business and I'll provide you with ideas and strategies that are likely to work to make your business real sales and profits.

Why would I do this? The reason is simple.

I know that once you see that...

I'm genuinely interested in working to get real results for your business...

And when you see the ideas and strategies I suggest based around YOUR unique business and what you want from your business...

I know there's a very good chance you'll hire me or introduce me to another business owner you think I can help.

Either way you get $500 worth of my time and a whole pile of ideas and suggestions that won't cost you a cent.

But as I said my time is limited and I can only offer these gift consultations while I still have a few free hours available to do them.

If you'd like to take advantage of this unique chance to talk to an internet marketing professional then...

Call me...Mark Jerram on 01344 641 225 or 07880 - 540 201 or email me at mark@biha.org.uk

Yours sincerely,

Mark Jerram

P.S. I've given you my private number and private email address so you can contact me directly. You're welcome to call, have a casual chat with me over the phone and ask me any questions you have.

But remember I'm running a business just as you are. Please do respect my time as I'll respect yours. I look forward to speaking to you and seeing if I can help you and your business.