SEO Versus Simple Marketing Strategies: Which Are More Effective?

While there are articles upon articles about search engine optimization, key word placement, search engine marketing, Meta tags, etc., the real issue on the web is not so much about how many hits a web site receives but in how many visitors become clients or customers. Of course, if you are selling a product that requires great numbers of people coming to your site, quantity is more important than quality. But, for the majority of people sharing their services and products on the web, for most, the quality of clientele is far more important. Hence your marketing strategy is crucial to your success.

Magnetize Your Clientele

For the purpose of this article, I will use my writing services to convey my point. There are in fact a lot of individuals on the Internet vying for clients that need a writer to help them create good content for all their writing needs. I realized right from the start of my business more than 15 years ago that with so many people on the web, I didn't want to compete, but instead I wanted to attract people that resonated with me and my writing services. So, when I first began writing, I ignored the idea of competition primarily because I was interested in a client that gets what I have to offer and understands that I always have my clients’ best interests at heart. With that foremost in mind, I have managed to magnetize the level of businessperson and entrepreneur that understands that their success is my success, and therefore they return time and again.

Attracting the Right Clients

The idea of making it on the web is about drawing people to you who want what you have to offer. Therefore, what is being presented on your website and how you market yourself is what the Internet game is all about. Of course, there is no question that you want to rank high in search engines, and you should do what you can to be effective in search engines, but even if you do manage to reach the top of a search engine there are no guarantees that you’ll stay there. And more than likely if you do make it, you will be replaced very shortly. Unless you are willing to spend a fortune having search engine marketing people work for you consistently, the chances of you staying at number one is unrealistic. Consequently, you must have other plans in place besides ranking high in search engines. In other words, it’s about using strategies that attract and keep your clientele.

What Can Guarantee Your Online Success?

While the majority of online ventures have little knowledge in regard to marketing, a business owner does not need to have a great deal of marketing savvy. Whether you are a small Mom and Pop business or a mid-sized corporation, you can take advantage of many excellent marketing strategies that are not costly and not hard to implement. The key though is that you must be willing to explore various methods until the puzzle comes together for your business. You also have to remember, that almost invariably, what works wonderfully today may not work tomorrow. What that means to you and your business is that you have to be open to exploring new means of marketing regularly.

What Can You Do?

If by chance your business is not moving in the direction you had hoped, the following few strategies may be a perfect jumping off place for getting things flowing in the right direction.

A) Provide such a great service that everyone wants what you have to offer. If you furnish a product or service that fills a need and you offer it with professionalism and distinction, the world will beat a path to your door regardless of your search engine placement.

B) Give something to your potential market that will empower them. By that I mean find a way that helps others reach higher levels of success. Be willing to support your fellow and sister entrepreneurs. The ideal way is to become so experienced in your field of endeavor that everyone reaches out for your assistance. Of course you don't want everyone writing just to ask you questions, so you can write about your experiences and your knowledge through articles. Not only do articles magnetize new clients, but they also demonstrate your desire to support and help others.

C) Network with other entrepreneurs. Stay in touch with people by writing friendly e-mail messages. Stopping by to say hello to previous clients or customers every once in a while clearly demonstrates your interest and your professionalism. Supportive relationships are also the best part of maintaining healthy Internet communication. If you have established rapport with people even if they never use your services, ask them if they would be willing to refer you. In support of their referral, offer to work on a writing project for them at a discount price or give them a small finder’s fee for any client they refer.

D) Use the media on a regular basis by writing press releases. Even if you are never invited for an interview by way of a newspaper, TV or a magazine, a press release gives you exposure that is incomparable to other forms of advertising. You'll be amazed at the traffic you attract with one good press release. It might take a bit of effort to get noticed but the more often you share your information through press releases, the more exposure you will receive.

E) Be bold and a bit daring. Getting noticed means having to step out of your comfort zone. That may be a bit frightening at first, especially if you're not used to doing things a little differently, but remember if you keep on doing the same things, you can't get anything different. Think about what is appealing to you about a specific ad, web site or article and why it attracted you. That may give you lots of important clues that will help develop your own strategies.

In closing, I want to remind you that it may take several tries before finding the perfect marketing tool for your business, but I encourage you to keep on trying. On a morning when my first article appeared in a popular ezine many years ago, my life literally changed. One day, hardly anyone knew I existed on the Internet and in a flash, my name was everywhere on the web. When you least expect it, the right visitor can find you and things can move very rapidly. Most important, never give up, for I can guarantee all your efforts will be worth it in the long run.