THE WHOLE WHEAT: ABOUT MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS ON THE INTERNET The only change in the Internet is the CONTINUAL INCREASE in Online shopping, activity, and business sites. More and more people are using the Internet – spanning age, race, gender. The ONLY thing that will change with the Internet is that it will INCREASE in use and amount of information available. It will NOT decrease or go away. Technology is here to stay. And, as more and more people and businesses flock to the Internet, the “Internet Experience” is changing.
People expect more from websites now; they are beginning to expect accountability and professionalism. The things you could “get away” with years ago just won’t work now…and they may actually harm your company image.  To KNOW the Internet, you will need to either learn it yourself or hire an expert. What can YOU do as a businessperson to market your site on the Internet? We suggest these 7 basic points. 1. Know to WHOM you are marketing: who is your target audience? What keywords will be critical for their searching? 2. Know WHAT they look for in a website: do they look for ease of navigation and simplicity of style, or do they look for a high-tech looking site with smaller fonts and a Macromedia Flash presentation? Does it look professional? Clean? Up-to-date? Clunky? Are the pictures clear and clean? Does it load quickly and well? People are becoming more sophisticated when it comes to websites…makes sure yours doesn’t convey the wrong message 3. Know how to WRITE website CONTENT. Websites are different than any other format. White space, fonts, page layout…all are DIFFERENT than any other format. Make sure your content and layout are done properly. If you are writing content for Search Engine Placement, make sure you know how to handle keyword placement and repetition. 4.Market ACROSS CHANNELS: your checks, your car, your billing…anything you can print on. Don’t neglect standard marketing practices. Market on the Internet and through traditional avenues.	5. Keep up with the latest developments and changes with Search Engine Placement. Set up a Search Engine Placement budget, then know WHERE to place your site and how much to pay. 6. Use other Internet marketing strategies. Find directories, archived e-mail lists, special interest sites, help-request sites, and more! 7. Use e-mail marketing properly. Know Internet Etiquette for obtaining email addresses, sending e-mail marketing letters and e-newsletters.   See our other handouts for more information about 7 Things You Need to Know About: Doing Business on the Internet, E-Newsletters, Hosting, Websites and E-Commerce. ADDITIONAL RESOURCE PAGES [About Websites] [About Hosting] [Internet Marketing] [About E-Commerce] [Internet Business] [About E-News] [Hosting Terms]