Whether you’re an exclusive online or offline business owner/manager, you will benefit from using several online marketing strategies to boost your company’s profit. Remember the adage, “Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket”? Well, it holds true for marketing your company’s products or services, especially in a globally technical savvy world. Read to find more ways to use online market strategies for yourself and business.
Online Marketing Strategies
1. Gift Cards/ E Cards
Gift cards are no longer just a holiday gift. Many retailers and superstores offer gift cards in various denominations. E cards benefit consumers by allowing them to purchase goods and services online through your eCommerce storefront. More than likely those same gift card users will buy more than the value of the gift or e-card and/or become return customers. This is also a great way to capture new customers to your store or online store. E Cards can be either offered through online channels or mailed through the USPS. Use gift cards as a promotional online marketing strategy to introduce your business to a new market and watch your sales soar.
2. Email Address Compilation
Don’t underestimate the value of gathering customers’ and clients’ email addresses for the exclusive use of sending weekly or monthly e-newsletters. Although it is easier to sign up online than in person at a traditional retailer, it is a simple online marketing strategy for your business. While this is a tedious task to ask for customers’ email addresses when they have been waiting in long lines, but can be very beneficial for returning customers and word-of-mouth advertising.
3. Single Buy Merchandise/Service
If you have an e-commerce storefront as well as a physical storefront, you may offer “online only merchandise” or “in-store only merchandise” to encourage your sales in both places. You can also monitor the top selling product/service online versus on site. A few large retailers such as Target offer online only merchandise that is not offered in their retail stores. Advertise your products online for your physical storefront as “in store only” purchases. You’ll be able to attract a broader audience than the traditional Sunday newspaper flyers with this special online marketing strategy.
4. Online Preorders/Waiting Lists
Want to tempt your customers’ buying power? Notify them via email of upcoming products/services and offer an online pre-order. To ensure you’ll have ample products in store for them when it arrives, have an option to secure their order with a credit card. While the credit card isn’t charged until the product arrives, they’ll feel as if they bought the product/service already. This online marketing strategy works for all sizes of businesses.
5. Online Consultations
Nothing tells a customer/client that they are valued like a one-on-one consultation. Customers buy based on their emotions and they use their intellect later to justify why they bought a particular product/service. So why not offer a personal online consultation to answer their questions, emphasize the benefits of such products/services and encourage them to buy additional products or services. If you offer this extra online marketing strategy to all your potential buyers, you’ll increase your clientele through word-of-mouth three fold!
6. Directory Listings
An undetermined amount of people are using online store and business directories to find specific businesses or services. This is a valuable online marketing strategy for your business to attract targeted customers. It only takes a few minutes to submit your company’s information and within a few days to sometimes a couple months you will receive an email confirming your listing. Many directories are free for regular listings or charge a small fee for “Featured Listing.” Yellow Pages may seem like an obvious place to market your company, but only a small number of people are using the Yellow Pages to find you. Use a more valuable and cost effective online marketing strategy with directory listings.
7. Blog Sites
Blogging has become just as popular as email was 10 years ago. Blogging isn’t just the ramblings of 20 something college students, it has become a verifiable news network. Blog sites such as Wordpress.com and Blogspot.com have created an entire news industry of expert bloggers as well as informed amateur bloggers. Many blog sites are free to join, while you can update your blogs as often as you want – daily, bi-weekly, weekly, etc. Use this online marketing strategy to advertise your business for free with weekly sales, promotions, upcoming products/services, press releases, videos, and much more. Be sure to include categories and tags with each blog. There is a Help section on Wordpress to guide through setting up your blog.
So now you have seven online marketing strategies to market your company and all of them can be implemented simultaneously. If you require additional help with online marketing or have specific questions regarding any of these marketing strategies, please call Search Circus for personal customer service today.
