Online Marketing Faux Pas

Author: Scott F. Geld

You are aware that it is important to market your online business and search for creative ways to do so, but you must also guard against using tactics that are not effective and that may hurt your business. Here are some tactics that you should NEVER use:

Mass Emailings

You may have been encouraged to buy and use Email lists with tons of addresses for an Email campaign. This offer probably came to you via an Email you didn't sign up for. Don't be tempted to buy unsolicited Email lists, even if the seller tells you that the names on the list are targeted towards your business offerings. Sending unwanted Email to people who have not indicated a desire to receive information from you is considered "spamming". It's annoying and intrusive, and usually sends the receiver running in the other direction whether they have an interest in your products and services or not. The bottom line is that you risk losing potential customers and damaging your reputation.

Email campaigns are an effective way to bring in new business, but only if they are targeted to 'qualified' prospects. Send your advertising only to those people who signed up to your mailing list.

Using Search Engine Software

Some software applications work very well to submit your Web site for a listing in the search engines. But, unfortunately a lot of these programs are not effective. Often you'll find that the software submits your Web site to irrelevant listing engines. Worse than that, some of these software applications cause your site to be banned from the popular search engines (just the ones you want to be listed with), because of multiple attempts and incorrect submissions.

A better way to get listed with the search engines and directories is to go to the site, read all the submission guidelines, and then submit your site individually to each search engine. Yes, it takes longer, but in the long run it is less expensive and more effective. The extra time is well spent.

Irrelevant Postings

You can attract visitors to your site by posting to relevant forums and message boards; however, if you just haphazardly post messages to every bulletin board, forum or discussion room you find, you will quickly upset the memberships. Your messages should be relevant to the type of products or services you promote, and they should be the type of messages that are permitted in the forum. For example, if you sell fine china, posting to a forum about gardening is a real stretch. You'll alienate a lot of people and you won't sell a thing.

Like traditional marketing strategies, good Internet marketers know that only tried and true methods really work. Make sure that the messages you send about your business are welcomed by the receiver. To do otherwise is a waste of your time.

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About the author :
Scott F. Geld
http://www.MarketingBlaster.com
Scott F. Geld is the Director of Marketing for MarketingBlaster.com, a company providing targeted traffic and direct links starting at just $5.

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