Yes, it's true, internet marketing advantages are out there. But as with most things, there are also some disadvantages that you need to be aware of as well.
The more educated you are on both the good and the bad aspects of having an online presence then the better equipped you will be to weather the storms.
The most important thing to remember, and it seems even the most savvy marketers sometimes forget, is that the internet is just a tool and if it's put to good use, it can really help you grow your exposure and your business.
It is not, however, some sort of magic ticket that will only provide you with good things. You need to know how much you are willing to invest in both time and money and have realistic expectations about what you are hoping to gain.
You also have to understand that even though your potential customer base may be world wide, your competition will be world wide as well. If you are in an industry where there are some "big boys" you should realize that you won't have the time or budget to go toe to toe with them.
Before you throw your hat in the ring and hire a web designer, here are some of the internet marketing advantages you should consider:
1. You can be "open" and making sales all day everyday. The web never sleeps and even while you, and your local customers, are slumbering away many other people around the world are just starting their days. You can have a store open all the time which can greatly increase sales.
2. You can very cheaply build a list of your customers and send them updates more quickly and a lot less expensively than you could offline. Doing this will allow you to act fast when you have a special that may be time sensitive.
Along with the advantages there are also some disadvantages and I think one of the biggest is the lack of a personal connection with your customers. People like to feel they are making a smart purchase, they like to interact with the salesperson before they sign on the dotted line.
Obviously, that simply isn't an option with an online business. It's also important to note that while a significant, and growing, number of people regularly make purchases online, there are still a lot of households that don't use the internet to make purchases.
The number of your customers who feel comfortable and confident in making purchases online will depend on many factors such as how much they like and trust you and your business as well as the demographic makeup of your customer base.
All in all it just makes sense for most businesses to take full advantage of all the internet marketing advantages available. Some will get more benefit than others, but I can't think of a scenario where having a top notch website online could actually hurt your business.
The more educated you are on both the good and the bad aspects of having an online presence then the better equipped you will be to weather the storms.
The most important thing to remember, and it seems even the most savvy marketers sometimes forget, is that the internet is just a tool and if it's put to good use, it can really help you grow your exposure and your business.
It is not, however, some sort of magic ticket that will only provide you with good things. You need to know how much you are willing to invest in both time and money and have realistic expectations about what you are hoping to gain.
You also have to understand that even though your potential customer base may be world wide, your competition will be world wide as well. If you are in an industry where there are some "big boys" you should realize that you won't have the time or budget to go toe to toe with them.
Before you throw your hat in the ring and hire a web designer, here are some of the internet marketing advantages you should consider:
1. You can be "open" and making sales all day everyday. The web never sleeps and even while you, and your local customers, are slumbering away many other people around the world are just starting their days. You can have a store open all the time which can greatly increase sales.
2. You can very cheaply build a list of your customers and send them updates more quickly and a lot less expensively than you could offline. Doing this will allow you to act fast when you have a special that may be time sensitive.
Along with the advantages there are also some disadvantages and I think one of the biggest is the lack of a personal connection with your customers. People like to feel they are making a smart purchase, they like to interact with the salesperson before they sign on the dotted line.
Obviously, that simply isn't an option with an online business. It's also important to note that while a significant, and growing, number of people regularly make purchases online, there are still a lot of households that don't use the internet to make purchases.
The number of your customers who feel comfortable and confident in making purchases online will depend on many factors such as how much they like and trust you and your business as well as the demographic makeup of your customer base.
All in all it just makes sense for most businesses to take full advantage of all the internet marketing advantages available. Some will get more benefit than others, but I can't think of a scenario where having a top notch website online could actually hurt your business.
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