We will help you to increase the ROI for your online marketing initiatives by adhering to three basic tenets that we see as critical to being successful online.

1. Online marketing is very similar to offline marketing

Communicating with potential customers online is not much different than it is offline because all of the traditional marketing principles still apply. Unfortunately many people get caught up in the excitement of new technologies like streaming media and forget the basics of advertising.

For instance, writing copy for an email message is very similar to creating a print ad.

• In print you have a headline- for email there is the subject line.
• Both have body copy, selling points and need a strong call to action to have people respond.
• The goal of an email message is to get people to act immediately by clicking on a link and bringing them to web site that can further move them towards a purchase. A print ad will try to entice people to call an 800 number or visit a store at a later time.
• In either medium, the message must be clear, succinct and have the ability to quickly capture people’s attention before their focus shifts somewhere else.

The bottom line is that while online advertising is still a newer medium when compared to its offline cousins, the same marketing communications skills need to be employed. Keep your message simple, don’t try to be too clever or cute, never make outlandish claims, and most importantly, tell people how your product or service will benefit them.

2. Advertising investments should be held accountable for generating results

One of the greatest attributes of online marketing is that in most cases you can measure the ROI of a campaign while it is in flight through real-time tracking. This allows you to make educated decisions on how and where to spend your budgets after initially testing different media sources.

In order to fully leverage the online medium you need to embrace the technology available to track responses. Whether you are a major auto manufacturer that is looking to build brand awareness within a niche market or you are software company looking to increase sales of your programs via a web site, you can hold your online media choices immediately accountable for their effectiveness in helping you reach your goals.

3. Web users expect immediate gratification

Remember that people want immediate gratification when they visit your company’s web site. If they don’t find what they came for they will leave soon after arriving. The web is filled with countless distractions that can lure away prospective customers with a short attention span so make sure that the page you send responders to delivers what your email copy or banner ad message was offering.

Allow people to delve more deeply into your product information but also remember to follow the inverted pyramid of providing information like a good newspaper story. Include the most important features at the beginning of the landing page you bring them to and provide the more detailed information at the bottom or on another page.

Finally, remember to minimize the number of steps you ask visitors to perform before they can become a lead or sale. The fewer hoops people have to jump through, the more conversions you will generate.