Small Business Internet Marketing Ideas

By Lanee’ Blunt

Marketing your smallbusiness online gives you the opportunity to reach people globally.  Online marketing is successful if you handleit properly.

Internet marketing can drivetraffic to your company website. In some cases it is more cost effective andcheaper than tradition forms of advertising. Getting an ad on television or afull page ad in the newspaper can be expensive, but putting an ad in an onlinedirectory is much cheaper.

  

Pay-per click advertising

Thisform of advertising allows a small business to set up an account, select a listof tightly targeted keywords that match your business, with keyword matchingand phrase matching. You will be listed on search engines with an effectivetext ad for your product or service. The keywords are low cost and highlyeffective.

Online Directories.

List your small business with an online directory and write a description about your business.  Use keyword tags.

Email marketing

Make iteasy to sign up for your email newsletter on your website.  You must have a way to capture the emailaddresses on your website. Make sure that all of the subscribers on your listhave opt-in to receive an email newsletter from you.

  

Banner advertising

Small rectangularadvertisements that range in appearance and size that can be used for productsor a service business. When a prospect clicks on it their internet browser willtake them to your website and advertisement.

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Do I Need a Business License to Sell Products Online?

By Lanee' Blunt

Register with the appropriate
 government agencies--
Wilton

Starting a business onlinethe same basic rules apply as with setting up a small business. If you aregoing to sell your products on your own website, or if you are planning to sellthem on EBay or Etsy, you will need to register your business with theappropriate government agencies.

You must set up yourbusiness as a legal entity. Decide which form of ownership is best for yourparticular business: sole proprietorship, partnership, Limited LiabilityCompany (LLC), corporation, or S corporation.

Apply for an employeeidentification number (EIN) with the federal government. Fill-out the necessaryforms and send them back to the federal government and they will return it toyou with your EIN number.  You will needthis to hire employees. The EIN is also known as an Employer Tax ID and FormSS-4. If you are not planning to hire employees you won’t need an EIN.

Most online merchants workfrom home but check with your county clerk’s office to find out what businesslicenses or permits you need. Many cities and county zoning and planningagencies require that you obtain a Home Occupation permit.

An online business in somestates is required to charge a sales tax and you may have to apply for a taxpermit or register with your state revenue agency. As an online business you areresponsible for collecting state and local sales taxes from your customers andthen paying these taxes to your state and local revenue agency.

Make sure that you complywith all of the regulations concerning privacy, advertising and copyright.

Reference:

SBA: Making Money Online:When you are a Business; Bob K; 2010

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Starting an Online Store Using Wholesale Suppliers

By Lanee' Blunt

When you start an online store you can sell many of your own products, but you can also work with wholesale suppliers. Starting an online store is an excellent way to make money selling your products everyday. It is a way that you can sell your products 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Setting up your own e-commerce site gives you more freedom, flexibility, and more control.

Set Up Online Site

Get a domain name and register it. Get a web host. You can find a web host that is inexpensive and effective. Make sure you use a web host that offers features that make third-party scripts like a shopping cart a one click system.  Look for free shopping cart scripts. Most web host will offer the open source osCommerce script as a quick install, but there are others you can download. Install payment modules Paypal, 2Checkout, and others. For accepting credit cards select a credit card processor.

Business License

Get a sales tax ID. You will need to collect sales tax and can obtain a Sales Tax Permit from your state or local government. Wholesalers and distributors will not let you open an account with them until you have your sales tax ID.

Finding Wholesalers

Some wholesalers that are high-volume manufacturer or wholesaler will not let you buy directly from them because you are a new small business and your sales volume won’t support buying any kind of bulk. There are many others that will work with smaller businesses. As your sales grow you will be able to work with the other marketing channels. Talk to people in your trade and go and check out their merchandise. Ask them questions if you feel that you won’t compete with them as for their source. Talk to brand manufactures, sometimes they only work with large companies but you can talk to them to see if they will work with small businesses. Search the internet for a wholesaler, and go to trade shows.

Create Accounts with Wholesalers

After you have identified a supplier that provides the types of products you want to sell, contact each wholesale company through their website, or by calling them on the phone and fill out their new account application. Make sure you understand the volume discounts, return policies, and order processing time. Purchase the products you want to sell or set up a drop shipping arrangement with them. Start promoting your online store.

Reference:

SBA: Small Business Matters; Tips for Finding and Working with Wholesale Suppliers; Caron Beesley; 2010

Lifehacker: How to Set Up Your Own Online Store

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet Marketing

By Lanee' Blunt

Direct marketing on the internet means that you can track the results from your campaigns from pay-per click advertising, search engine optimization, email marketing, banner advertising, contextual advertising, and affiliate marketing campaigns. Many small businesses advertise the traditional way using offline advertising, but some companies are looking to the internet for additional exposure.

Speed

An advantage of online marketing is you have the speed and ease of tracking all of your marketing campaigns. You can identify your profit and your loss and then improve your ROI from each marketing avenues. You can use tracking software that will help you track where your ads are, what ads are being clicked on, and in what location.

Cost Effective

Another advantage of internet marketing is that you can advertise more cheaply than you can with more traditional methods of advertising, such as television, full page ads in the newspaper, and directories. For example, you can reach your customers cheaply and effectively. You can get a free listing in many business online directories. You can contact your customers more than you normally would and more affordably than other methods, by sending information out to your existing customers and others who have opted-in to your mailing list.

Spam

A disadvantage of direct marketing on the internet is that your email may be considered spam. Please don’t spam your customers. Always include an opt-out statement in your message. This will give your customers a choice to receive your email messages or your newsletter. For example, if you wish to discontinue receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe to these offers by clicking here.

Time

A disadvantage of direct marketing on the internet is that your campaign takes time to build. It takes time to receive page views and then for someone to click on what you are offering in your ad. Another disadvantage of using HTML format for newsletters and emails for marketing that some people may have a slow computer and it may take a long time to download all of the information from your newsletter and they may lose patience. HTML looks visually appealing and is easier to read than text format.

In a matter of months of aggressive SEO campaigning, you can secure millions of impressions and reach your target audience but it takes patience when you’re just beginning your new campaign.

Reference:

Deer Farmer’s Library; Internet Direct Marketing; Russell Sawchulk; 2003

Marketing Smartt; 10 Advantages of Online Marketing vs. Traditional Media; Kyle Pearce; 2009

SEO & Online Marketing Tips; Direct Marketing on the Internet; Alex Cleanthous, 2007

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