Five Most Effective Internet Marketing Tools by Titus Hoskins
Like any industry, Internet Marketing has its own special marketing tools and
methods. Many of these marketing tools may already be familiar to you:
autoresponders, SEO software, link-building systems, content management
programs, affiliate software... and the list goes on.
However, Internet Marketing has other more effective, non-traditional marketing
tools every marketer should know about if they want to reach their full
potential as online marketers. Some of these marketing tools come cleverly
disguised or camouflaged, with many surfers or customers completely unaware
that they're receiving a sales-pitch. Yet, these innocent and simple sales
techniques are some of the most effective marketing tools on the web.
For anyone involved in Internet Marketing or for anyone wishing to become
involved, a quick rundown of these marketing tools may prove helpful. Here's a
brief list and a few pointers on how to effectively use these marketing tools.
1. Domain Name
Lets start at the very beginning. Your domain name should be considered your
first Internet marketing tool. Pick it right and your domain name can also be
your most effective marketing tool. Get it wrong and it may spell game over.
Most marketers agree you should pick a short memorable keyword-related domain
name. For example, www.hotels.com, it's easy to remember/spell and it tells you
exactly what the site is about. Picking a domain directly related to the
keyword or keywords of your site will help greatly in obtaining a high ranking
for your site with the search engines. Not to mention, it will be a great
marketing and promotional tool, telling your potential customers exactly what
your site is promoting and displaying.
On the other hand, some marketers suggest you opt for a short jazzy name that
can be easily remembered by your visitors. Ebay, Google, Napster, Yahoo...
regardless of which route you take, make sure you examine all the marketing
potential before you pick your domain name. The right domain name can be one of
your most effective marketing tools on the world wide web.
Many experts also suggest you only set up a dedicated server for your domain or
domains. A dedicated server only carries one domain. Most hosting companies
(for economic reasons) often share hosting servers, i.e. your domain is
co-hosted with hundreds of other domains on the same server. Since you will be
using the same IP address this may have dire consequences if one of the domains
is accused of spamming or some other unscrupulous behavior. Even if you can't
afford a dedicated server, it would be wise (for SEO purposes) to have a
separate IP address for each domain you own. Most hosting companies provide
this service for a small fee.
2. Keywords
Keywords, what surfers type into search engines to find what they're looking
for, are the real building blocks of the web. They are the single most
important element in any online marketing venture. Pick the right keywords and
you're in business, pick the wrong keywords and again, it's game over.
Therefore, you must have special keyword software or use some online sites or
services to help you pick the right keywords. Many top marketers use
WordTracker.com, GoodKeywords.com, or the new Keyword Elite by Brad Callen. A
superior keyword research product will supply valuable information: number of
searches made each month, amount of competition and the top sites targeting
your keywords.
Remember, you must target the right keywords with your site or online
marketing. Targeted keywords draw targeted traffic (customers) to your sites or
products. The right keyword software or program will have a direct correlation
to the success or failure of your online marketing efforts. So choose wisely!
3. Articles
Many marketers believe in and rely upon purely organic SEO techniques for
marketing their sites. One simple method of organic SEO is writing and
submitting keyword related articles around the topic of your website with links
back to your site. As other sites display your articles you gain valuable
one-way links back to your site. Search engines then follow all of these links
and rank your site highly for the keywords in these articles. For this reason
the modest article may prove to be the single most important marketing tool you
have in your arsenal.
As your site becomes highly ranked for these keywords, other sites will want to
link to your site in order to become optimized for those same keywords...
article keyword marketing is one of the most effective Internet marketing tools
at your disposal. Used properly if can position your site in the search engines
and bring in all that highly prized targeted traffic.
Keep in mind, many Internet marketers have side-stepped the whole SEO
optimization process by going directly to search engines and buying their
traffic with PPC pay-per-click advertising. Overture and Google Adwords program
are good examples of this method. Marketers bid on clicks to their site's
keywords and bring in targeted customers. In knowledgeable hands, PPC marketing
is an extremely effective and lucrative marketing tool.
4. Lists
The backbone of any Internet marketing system is the list. It is another
marketing tool you can't do without. The list is simply a large database of
contacts, people who have given you permission to email or contact them. These
are subscribers who have opted-in to your ezine or newsletter. Most successful
marketers keep countless different databases for each product or topic they're
targeting with their marketing.
Ezines or newsletters are vital Internet Marketing tools that no online
business should ignore. It is essential you keep in contact/touch with your
past and future customers. You must build an ongoing relationship and
connection with your customers.
Besides your ezine or newsletter, many marketers also set up lists of
affiliates to help promote and sell their products. Never underestimate the
power of an affiliate system as an effective marketing tool. It is the stuff
Empires are made of! Once a marketer has acquired a large list of loyal
contacts or affiliates - the flood waters open up. Opportunities for JVs or
Joint Ventures with other online marketers make for serious cash flow.
5. Blogs And RSS Feeds
Blogging and RSS feeds have become essential marketing tools for savvy online
marketers. Online journals or blogs are all the rage, especially in the
marketing field. These blogging systems such as WordPress are great content
management tools that will quickly build a content-rich site, pulling in
targeted traffic from the search engines.
Search engines are enamored with blogs and RSS feeds mainly because blogs
provide fresh content, the main lifeblood of every good search engine. For this
reason no site should be without a blog and RSS feed, it will keep your content
regularly visited and indexed by the search engines. In addition, all that
information and content is a perfect tool for drawing potential customers to
your products and services.
Along with your domains, lists, keywords, and articles - blogs are effective
marketing tools that will play an important role in the success of your online
marketing. In the right hands, these Internet marketing tools can work magic on
any company's bottom line. They are some of Internet Marketing's most effective
tools.
You don't have to think outside of the box, you just have to know what makes up
the box!
About the Author
----
The author runs an Internet Marketing website featuring all the latest
marketing tools and techniques. Anyone wishing to learn about Internet
Marketing and don't want to spend a bundle should try these:
Free Internet Marketing Courses Copyright 2006 Titus Hoskins. This
article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
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