‘To get what you want, stop doing what isn’t working’. Famous American actor Dennis Weaver certainly got it right if you apply his words to the realm of internet marketing. It makes good business sense that every successful internet business needs to be driven by a flawless marketing campaign. However, this is not the case in many marketing campaigns. Here are five of the biggest internet marketing blunders that internet marketers make and more importantly, how you can avoid committing them in order to build a successful marketing campaign.
1. Putting up a poorly designed website
It is almost axiomatic that a website without proper planning will turn out confusing and most probably look and feel unpleasant. Such websites are often difficult to navigate and so perplexing that potential customers are left confused as to what to do on-site. More often than not, most of these customers will leave the webpage, never to return again. Clearly, internet marketers should strive to avoid such a scenario. Yet, this is still one of the biggest mistakes internet businesses make in their marketing campaigns.
After all, it’s hard enough to get prospects interested in visiting a website, so the last thing internet marketers want to do is disappoint them once they arrive.
How to avoid: The crucial period (‘stay’ or ‘go’ decision-making) falls within the first 10 seconds upon access to your webpage. Exploit this as you’ve only got one chance to impress. In order to avoid confusing your visitors, use easy-to-read typefaces and formatting. Also, use color carefully. Use no more than three main colors and employ softer variations of white to make your webpage background less glaring.
Most importantly, make sure the content of your website is relevant, useful and concise. Here’s an additional tip- place key content ‘above the fold’ so your visitors need not scroll down to locate them. The definition of ‘key content’ varies for different websites but they mostly include purchase buttons and product promotion.
2. Failure to build an effective Opt-in list
An opt-in list is basically an e-mailing list that gives the e-mail addresses of interested customers to the website owner when they subscribe to the website. It is widely known in the internet marketing world that ‘the money is in the list’. By failing to establish an opt-in list, one is forgoing the ability to communicate and do product promotion with potential customers regularly. The key to winning customers over is to build long-term personal relationships with them. After all, research has proven that people are more apt to purchase products or services from companies they know, like and trust.
How to avoid: Firstly, include an opt-in section (subscribe button) in every single page and sub page of your website. When visitors enter their e-mails into the list, they are giving you permission to establish contact with them. It is best to send them weekly e-mails containing relevant and useful information on new products or simply information which are pertinent to their needs and your industry.
As it is more effective and less expensive to get more out of existing customers than it is to attract new ones, continue to connect with your existing customers as it is highly likely that they will return for more.
3. Failure to research one’s competitors and customers
By failing to research ones’ competitors and potential customers before moving into an industry, there is a much higher likelihood of failure due to two reasons.
Firstly, your product could fail due to a lack of people sharing your enthusiasm for it. Failure to carry out such research might lead to the development of a product that no one is willing to purchase or use, leading to a waste of time, effort and money. Secondly, one could end up launching a product into a market oversaturated with competitors, thereby limiting the maximum revenue one can earn.
Thus, it is crucial to research your competitors and customers in order to avoid committing such mistakes.
How to avoid: Take time out to research the preferences of your customers through surveys to test the viability of your product or service. Be sure to keep a lookout for competitors who offer similar products so you can evaluate how they compare with yours in terms of price and functionality. Finally, look for ways to differentiate your product by uncovering unfulfilled needs of either the same consumer base or a different one altogether.
4. Failure to track your actions
By not tracking everything one does, it’s almost a cinch he or she won’t know what’s working and what’s not. This means incurring needless opportunity costs (the benefit of the better alternative you would have used by tracking). By not monitoring the key metrics of an internet business, one is ultimately forgoing greater internet marketing success.
How to avoid: Use programs like Google Analytics to keep tabs on key information such as the number of unique visitors to your website, opt-in conversion rate, and advertisement clicks. It is crucial to test different permutations of advertising locations and placements and use the ones that have the highest success rate and rework the less effective ones. By carrying out this trial-and-error process, you can ensure that your marketing campaign reaches its maximum potential.
5. Putting all of your eggs in one basket
Some internet businesses rely solely on sales of their product or service for income. This is a dangerous line of action to take as it greatly increases the vulnerability of a company to unpredictable market changes.
How to avoid: There are various ways to earn additional income. Firstly, use Google’s AdSense program as a source for advertising income. Secondly, use part of your website to carry out affiliate marketing; promoting other products and taking a small cut of all purchases made through you. Also, you can offer space on your website for advertisements which pay out monthly once you have garnered substantial traffic.
In conclusion, remember to avoid committing these major internet marketing blunders when working online as they are preventing you from achieving greater internet marketing success. Also, pay heed to the tips mentioned and bring your internet business to greater heights today!
