|
|
| Internet Marketing Information |
|
The Tao of Web Marketing
A few months ago I was watching a stream meandering back and forth across a flat plain in a high mountain valley. The stream reached it's destination - a small lake - but only after dozens of loops and curves. It occurred to me that Water and clever Web Marketing have something in common - they both follow the path of least resistance. Let me explain. Your first contact with a future customer usually starts with an email. It could be an Ad in an Ezine, it could be your Resource Box at the end of one of your Articles, or it could be your Signature File in your correspondence. But in the chain of events that leads to a web sale, an email is the point of greatest resistance. Why is that? Firstly, your future customer is reading your message offline. She or he has to fire up their modem before they can buy your product. And that requires effort (and expense). Secondly, if your message is in an Ezine, it's probably one of a dozen other messages all clamoring for attention. Thirdly, whether your message is an Ezine Ad, a Resource Box, or a Signature File, you've probably had only a few lines to explain why your widgets are so good. So if an email is the point of greatest resistance, what is the solution? The ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism (pronounced 'Dowism') - also known as 'The Watercourse Way' - gives us the answer. Taoism tells us to be like Water and follow the path of least resistance. Water flows. It is soft and moves easily around obstacles in its path, instead of attempting to go through them. Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it. The soft overcomes the hard; the gentle overcomes the rigid. Everyone knows this is true, but few can put it into practice. (Tao Te Ching, ch. 78) "What is the path of least resistance in an email?", I hear you ask. Offer something free! Successful web marketers know this already. I recently did a survey of the Resource Boxes of fifty well known Ezine Writers. Over 90% of them were not trying to sell anything from their Resource Box. In fact, an overwhelming majority were not even trying to get a click-thru to their website - they were simply offering a free subscription to their Newsletter. In other words, they were more interested in building a long-term relationship than they were in making a quick sale. When I started out on the Internet, I was pretty impatient. I certainly didn't want to the follow the path of least resistance. The path I had in mind was more like the flight of an arrow - straight to it's target. But the statistics suggest that most web sales are not made like that; on average your customer will have to see your message seven times before he or she buys your product. So next time you plan your marketing strategy, why not take a lesson from Water and follow the path of least resistance? ------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Dont Tell Me What I Cant Do! Have you ever watched ABC's hit TV show Lost? My favorite episode was titled "Walkabout". In it, we learn that the mysterious outdoorsman Locke was actually paralyzed from the waist down before getting on the doomed 815 flight which crashed and, somehow, gave him the use of his legs back. Traditional Mediums versus Search Engine Positioning Banner Advertising: Learning More About Your Customers to Achieve Maximum Online Profits! Knowing about the people who buy your products or use your services on the internet is extremely important. If you know what your customers like, dislike, want and think, then you know exactly how to update your site and adapt it. Nothing pleases a visitor more than a site that fulfils everything that they desire. Pleased visitors lead to buyers. Not only will this boost your profits but it will also lead to satisfied customers who will leave your site and tell others. This will boost your web traffic. Simple Steps to a Great Banner Ad Everyone is using them now and if you're planning on creating your own banner ad then there are some things that you should know. Three Easy Lessons to Take Your Online Marketing to the Next Level I just spent the last week in two very different, but parallel universes. After helping researchers in a federal government agency work on getting their science understood and used in the marketplace, I tapped the wisdom of a conference full of online marketing gurus. E-marketplace ? Facts and Fictions Not long ago, industry pundits were touting B2B marketplaces or exchanges as Internet era panacea for productivity and cost-cutting problems of corporate world. Buoyed by excessive investor interest and driven by a desire to cash in on the enormous dot-com valuations of late 90s, marketplaces were sprouting like autumn mushrooms. With the collapse of stock market, it did not take much time for burgeoning B2B marketplaces to come to a screeching halt! Getting noticed on the Internet - Digital Marketing for Small Business The Internet has grown from a small network of academics needing a way to trade research into a world-spanning, ubiquitous marketplace and repository for nearly every possible kind of information and knowledge. How does a small business avoid being washed away in the constant tide of buying, selling and marketers hawking every conceivable item (and some difficult to conceive...)? Wanted - Sheep for the Marketing Flock? Hoo boy, I am sticking my neck out here! Ready for the chopping block I am - but it needs to be said and here it is: "Marketers - wake up! Get back to basics and get original" The Real Key To Happiness, Peace of Mind, and Massive Internet Success Do you know the secret that allowed 100% of the top Internet Marketers to become successful? Success is a Process, Not an Event We all need a little inspiration once in a while, and we all need to be reminded that achieving success is a process, not an event. It doesn't happen over night. Here are some ideas for improving your chances of internet business success. Why Test? Marketing should be treated like a science. If you are serious about making money on the Internet, it is absolutely crucial that you spend some time testing your results and refining your approach. Visibility Equates to Higher Profits One of the greatest challenges businesses face is how to market cost effectively while gaining a good return on investment (ROI). Regardless of what industry you are in, the size of your organization and how long you have been in business, you must continually look for ways to gain and maintain your visibility to your market. How To Build a Successful Online Reputation After running an online business (web site design) for a number of years I built a reputation online that helps me to gain and retain a continuous flow of customers. I had no online reputation when beginning my business, but was able to build it up step by step over the last few years. Stepping Outside the WAHM Zone Often times on message boards you'll see several reps from the same company, making it difficult for all reps to gain enough sales. We've also seen issues where some reps dominate certain boards or even go so far as to steal potential customers and recruits. While there is no real easy answer to this problem, there are certain things you can do to gain your fair share of sales. Online Sales: 10 Magical Online Sales Tactics To Sell Your Products Faster There are certain magical tactics that work so well that when you use them, they can help you sell your products faster and make more money. Internet Marketers and Two-Year-Olds: Just Toddling Around Asking Lots of Questions I recently noticed that my friend's two-year-old, Conor, is getting to be quite the big boy. For one thing, he has suddenly morphed from a pudgy baby into a mini version of her husband. For another, he's becoming increasingly curious. The last time I saw him he must have asked me at least 20 times, "What's that?" 5 Powerful Tips To Beat The Biggest Problem ALL Marketers Face I bet you can't tell me... the single biggest problem facing Every Direct Marketer, new and old. Internet Marketing Promotion And Advertising Can Build Your Business Internet marketing promotion & advertising are crucial for your website's success. Take time to create a buzz about your site and that will keep people coming back. Excited people are motivated people willing to spend money on your products. Advertising that promotes both your products and your website will keep them coming back for more. Web site traffic should be the focus of early Internet marketing promotion advertising. Many effective ways exist t generate traffic for no or little cost. Even if you do not have a large marketing budget, you can operate a successful website. Internet Marketing and Public Speaking: The Murder Board Practice I recently posted an article titled "Internet Marketing and Public Speaking: Ten Tips for When the Twain Shall Meet." One of the tips concerned a means to practice your sales presentation with a "Murder Board." I received several emails requesting a fuller explanation of this practice method. 10 Things You Should Try To Barter For Before Buying 1. Information Products - it could be ebooks, "how to" videos, cassettes, magazines, newsletters, paid e-zines, courses, etc.
|
|
|
| Home | Site Map | Salesmanship Ebook | Motivational Ebook | Job and Resume Posting| Affiliate program | |
|
| 2006 All Rights Reserved. by Mp.sg Term of use and service for the articles and information |
