Thursday, June 4, 2009

Understanding Marketing Plus Sales Equals Making Money Online

By Robert Stout

When starting an online business it's important to know the functions of both marketing and sales. Effort and resources are needed to grow a young business, it is easy to get sidetracked, turned around, and frustrated if marketing and sales are not co-ordinated properly.

Marketing and sales need to work together to give you the results you want. Although they perform different functions, and sometimes overlap, once you realize their separate but equal roles, you align yourself with success. Online marketing and sales unfolds in a step-by-step process.

First Step: What is going to move your prospects eye and attention into your marketing net? It could be an article, a blog, an ad, an irresistible graphic, free stuff, email, and on and on. The internet abounds with effective techniques for getting attention. You just need to find a way to capture someone's interest and then go on to the next phase.

The next time you are actively wanting to find a product online, take a moment to observe the process. Once you have a term in mind, enter it in your search engine's box. After your initial click, it's stunning how many results come up and at what speed. Every item on that page wants your eyes in that moment. Your attention is now engaged.

Your viewing area is bursting with superlative adjectives, enticing graphics, free stuff, and more. You are in a marketing web. Something jumped to first in line for your attention. The word "free" got you. Another successful marketing technique worked so you clicked the link for that freebie. Marketing's success feeds into the next step. Now you will be moved farther along in the process.

Second Step: Here, during the conversion, the advertiser wants to get you from an interest in that product to the point where you want to buy it. Speed is important because on the internet a merchant has seconds to get your attention and a only few more to keep it past the first click. Whatever information presented must be clear and direct. A marketer must ask the client what he wants and then make it easy for him to order it.

Third Step: Sales lets you know about the benefits of your product. Why you need it. There may be discounts, more free stuff, testimonials, emotion producing graphics, and a huge "order now button". What everything is telling you is to choose this item right now. Here is where you are as the prospect: You made a search where marketing grabbed your attention, moved you to a point where you were ready to consider a purchase. That's when sales jumped in with benefits, enticements, and a clear way for you to buy.

Once you learn how to analyze the sales process, it will help you refine and continue to refine your own internet marketing. A certain amount of analysis is very healthy as it will allow you to see what works and what needs work. You can go into the three steps, marketing, conversion, and sales, to determine your effectiveness. It'll show up in your bottom line.

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