Assesing Competition, Content Optimization, Internet Marketing Company, Internet Marketing Strategy, Keyword Research, Local Keyword Research, Search Engine Results, SEO, Website Design
What Is (And What Isn't) Internet Marketing For Local Business Owners
Business owners in these days finally started seeing the light that internet marketing is here to stay and it is nothing that they can avoid. Nevertheless, even though they now came to some type of a realization that it is a bigger part of their prospecting medium, most of them still have quite a few misconceptions.
We wanted to clear out the air and hopefully put some of the business owners’ mind at peace by sharing some information about internet marketing, so that they may realize internet marketing (actually) is not what they think it is:
1. Internet Marketing Is Expensive, We Know We Can’t Afford it
Even though there may be companies out there who are spending thousands of dollars on internet marketing, nothing can be further than the truth!
Local Internet Marketing is different than National Internet Marketing, and it tends to be less competitive (… at least for now). Which means you can still rank higher in the search results with a modest budget, as long as you are not focusing on an extremely competitive keyword. Nevertheless, your internet marketing company should still be able to find you viable keywords and set up an comprehensive campaign within your budget.
2. Internet Marketing Is Not Suitable For Our Business
We are not even sure what triggers this idea for business owners. There is always room for any business to harvest prospects on the net. People who own a desktop to mobile phone are always looking for something on the net. If you are a local business owner and if you have customers coming to your shop right now, you better believe it there are more out there who are looking for your products and services, and this makes internet marketing very suitable for your business.
3. Our Web Designer Is Going To Do Our Internet Marketing
OK, we wanted to pass this one with a smiley face but it deserves an explanation.
We love the web designers, and we work with them very closely. They have a prominent place in the development of your website. But the keyword here is “development”.
Designing a website is totally different than developing a website. Developing a website is different than doing your Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and even though SEO is an intricate part of internet marketing, internet marketing is still different than SEO.
There are many moving parts within internet marketing, and web designer is a part of the internet marketing, not the internet marketing itself.
4. We Are Happy With Our Website The Way It Is, We Just Want Someone To Do Internet Marketing For Us
Would you like to invest a dollar and get three dollars back, or would you like to invest a dollar and put sixty cents in the trash? And yes, that forty cents will look like it is generating something but soon enough you will realize (as a business owner) you are simply wasting your money.
This is when you start complaining that the money you invested in internet marketing never generated enough returns.
You, as a business owner, should understand that your website is the place where magic happens, not anywhere else. It doesn’t matter how much internet marketing you do, in the end, your prospects, along with the search engines, are going to come to your site. How can you expect the magic to happen if your site is not in ship shape condition?
Everything starts on your website and ends on your website! So, most likely, your website will need to be modified to be in-synch with your internet marketing strategy.
5. If You Are An Internet Marketing Company, How Come You Are Not Listed On The Top Of The Search Results
Hold the press… They are paid listings! Please look three rows down.. okay, maybe four
6. We Just Hired An Intern Who Is Going To Put Us On The First Page Of Google
This is mind-boggling??? I am sure no business owner hires an intern to do his payroll, which has consequences if it is messed up.
So, how is it that someone can put an intern in charge of something that is going to generate prospects, and revenues (or in other way of saying is; put the bread on the table).
If you think of this as “conventional marketing” rather than internet marketing for a second, we are quite sure the business owners will have a different perspective on this matter. You have to accept the fact that internet is actually replacing the playing field of conventional marketing, and shifting it to the net (almost) all together.
So the conventional marketing you already know, and also believe deep down that it doesn’t belong to an intern is actually “internet marketing” now.
7. We Know Who Our Competitors Are, Just Tell Us How To Beat Them
Even though you know your competitors, there are still a few important factors involves with planning an effective internet marketing strategy. Most important answers you should know to start on your internet marketing is:
- Do you know what keywords your competitors are dominating the market with?
- Do you know what keywords you should be focusing on?
- Do you have an optimized website?
8. We Spend $3,000 a Month To Be Listed On The Top, Why Do We Have To Spend Money On Your Services?
There is a difference between paid listings and natural listings. At some point, a few business owners got under the impression that they have to pay search engines to be listed higher in the search results. The way that it works (or should work) is, paid listings are actually used to support your natural listing – it is not the other way around.
Your website is your asset, just like your employees, telephone lines or your computer. It adds value to your business, and some of your investment should also go towards the development of your site. Paid listings are push-button and instantaneous traffic and they are not permanent. Once you stop funding it, they are pretty much gone. But natural listings are a lot more permanent, and most of the time a lot more credible.
These are a few that we encounter often enough to mention. If you have more to share, please leave a comment and share it with everybody…
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