Internet marketing can take many shapes and forms but usually it means mass marketing your own or an affiliate’s product to visitors to your web site. Novices may find Internet marketing to look simple. It might appear that all you need to do to make money on the Internet is put up a website and offer something for sale. That may actually work if you have a unique product that everyone just has to have. Fun to think about but you shouldn't plan on it happening to you. You need to develop an effective strategy to market your product or services.

There are a number of methods available for marketing on the Internet. You could create websites, send out e-newsletters, run email marketing campaigns, setup an affiliate marketing program for your products or promote other peoples products to name a few. We are going to talk about each of these methods.

Build a Web Site

Start marketing on the Internet by building your most powerful Internet marketing tool - your web site. Your web site needs to be attractive, functional and suitable to the products or services you are promoting. It is your Internet business card. Your web site is your visitors first impression of you. Your goal is to keep your web visitors on your site and get them to come back. There are many ways to get visitors to your site, but only a well thought out site will keep them there. If your site is promoting a single product or service you want them to buy your product now.

Start an e-newsletter (ezine)

You can use your web site to promote your e-newsletter (ezine). An e-newsletter is an email which contains information that would have value to the e-newsletter subscriber. It could be an informative article, tips on the appropriate subject or other information which may be deemed worthwhile for the recipients of the e-newsletter. The e-newsletter should not be a blatant advertisement but should use a soft sale approach. Links can be included in the e-newsletter that once clicked on would bring up a sales page for the product. Care needs to be taken to make sure your e-newsletter is informative and not just one long advertisement.

Email Marketing

Email marketing involves sending emails to a group of individuals who may be interested in your products and services. Nowadays because of the Spam Laws, these individuals will be from your own double opt-in email list. You don't want to be sending unsolicited emails promoting your products and your name.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing takes two forms. One is where you set up an Affiliate Program to promote your products. If there is a sale you pay a commission to your affiliate. The other is where your become an affiliate of some company and promote their products. If there is a sale you get paid a commission. There are some very large affiliate programs you can join.

© 2007 - This is one of a series of articles on Internet Marketing published by Bill Rothermal.

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