Keys to Successful Online Entrepreneurship
While the internet provides endless opportunities, only a select few succeed in using it to make a viable living. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 3.5% of those employed currently have an online presence which is significant because that percentage has grown by 2% since 2011. In order for you to be among these success stories, you need to have some key characteristics in order for your business or blog to be successful and grow.
The internet has changed how we do business. With it, some people find success in every field of business. With the increased use of blogs, pod casts and video platforms, today's aspiring entrepreneurs reach a wider audience than ever before.
While there are countless ways to create a successful online presence, their most important attribute is that they promote your business as an innovative solution to an existing need.
For example, if you're running a blog on the benefits of organic beverages, you need to provide consumers with what they're looking for. You don't have time to provide 16 different categories of information so try focusing on one main point: why drinking coffee or tea is bad for people's health. You'll do well to write articles which separate this one topic into as many different aspects as possible.
If you've written an article about the benefits of drinking organic coffee and tea, consumers will understand why they should purchase your brand.
For instance, consumers don't necessarily know that caffeine is a diuretic which causes dehydration. They may not know that coffee is metabolized by the liver and over time can cause liver damage, if consumed in large quantities. The more you are able to make people aware of these facts, the more likely they'll be to buy your product or service.
The first step in creating a successful online presence is to promote your business by promoting the products or services you want people to buy from you .
Identify the need. If you know there is a need for your product or service, people will be more willing to buy it. People don't have time to research everything that is out there, so they don't have time to research you. In order to get them interested, they must be aware of the need that you are providing.
Some people have a hard time identifying the needs of their potential customers by thinking of a product or service as a necessity in one place. They think back on their lives and realize how many things they've purchased in an attempt to provide themselves with what they want or need. You may be able to even find demand for your product by noticing trends in other industries .
Get visibility .
A way to get visibility is to promote your business through the media. You can use a variety of different outlets on the internet. For example, you can promote your blog by using social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn .
You can also advertise through online advertising such as Google AdWords .
In order for these tactics to be effective you need to have an attractive website with a professional look and feel. You may want to contact a professional designer who specializes in creating website design concepts that are attractive and easy for customers to navigate. Consider hiring a web developer who specializes in eCommerce platforms in order to ensure that the site is functioning properly. You will also want to look into other aspects of your business such as online marketplaces and building a mailing list.
This is just a brief overview of how to create a successful online presence. The internet offers an endless amount of opportunities for growth for those who know how to properly promote their products or services.
© 2015 Lancer Media, LLC. All rights reserved worldwide on all media now known and hereafter invented. Unauthorized copying or republication expressly prohibited by law. Print design copyrighted 2015 by Lancer Media, LLC. This site is for personal use only, permission for commercial use must be obtained in writing from the author. For more information on buying this service from Lancer Media, please contact us at info@lancermedia.com .
The Palliative Route to Marketing Success
By: Michelle A. Villafane
Online marketing is largely focused on search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media and email marketing. While these methods have worked well in their respective niche areas of marketing, they have not been able to reach all audiences that are on the Internet today. In order to build a comprehensive marketing strategy, one must go beyond the traditional approach to marketing and expand his understanding of what is going on in today's Internet world.
Over the last few years, there has been a divergence in how advertising dollars are being spent. While businesses are still spending tremendous amounts of money on television ads and print advertising, there has been a shift in where those dollars would be best spent. Companies have found success in developing their own content because consumers are now making decisions based on their own online research rather than just trusting brands they see advertised daily.
This has led to a drastic shift in the way that consumers are making purchasing decisions. In fact, over 80% of consumers say they rely on customer reviews before making a purchase. This leaves companies scrambling to develop strategies that entice consumers to go out of their way and leave reviews for their products and services. However, there is one strategy that is working better than any other: palliative marketing.
What is Palliative Marketing?
Palliative marketing is a term coined by technology blogger Mark Fidelman in his blog post: "No Regrets Marketing." Palliative marketing refers to the strategic practice of curing the customer's pain through a product or service without directly selling anything. According to Fidelman, palliative marketing is "the idea of marketing that doesn't necessarily involve directly selling a product or service." He continues:
In the sense of an eCommerce store, this means helping customers get what they need even if you're not their preferred supplier. By helping them solve their problem, you build a relationship and improve your chances of securing new sales down the line. If you can't solve the pain point at least you won't make it worse by being a really bad alternative.
For example, many consumers have tried to stream Netflix movies using various tools to enable them to do so: for instance, using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) in order to evade geographic restrictions. Many consumers have complained that Netflix has not been able to resolve the issue, leading them to switch to using Hulu or purchasing HBO Now.
In this situation, the Netflix platform has fallen short of what it should have been able to provide and consumers are seeking more. In fact, many consumers are seeking alternatives because they feel that Netflix is making their lives more difficult than it should be (i.e.: limited full screen viewing, lack of an app for mobile devices). This is where palliative marketing comes in.
By providing a product or service that helps customers directly with their problem, companies can establish goodwill with their customers and earn the trust needed to put them in the position of recommending products and services in the future.
Conclusion
For many businesses, using palliative marketing as a primary strategy is a necessity and not an option. A recent study by ComScore found that 87% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product or service when they have a positive experience with that company's online customer service. These statistics indicate the importance of palliative marketing in customer service.
In the next post in this blog series, we will look at the best practices for engaging in palliative marketing tactics to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.