The Cost of Doing Internet Advertising and Business

A direct marketer's rule of thumb tells us that it costs just as much to sell by mail or phone as it costs to do it in bricks-and-mortar outlets or with an in-person sales staff. The secret of sales success has been (and still is) to use any or all of these in whatever combination works best for selling your customers.

Online marketing is sometimes is the only good way to advertise and sell. More often, it as one of several media to be tested and used as long as they are cost-effective. But in most cases, Internet marketing will not be a cost saver. As more people are learning every day, whatever online marketing saves on handling paper work, the costs for media charges and people usually equal the savings. Learning how to use Internet advertising as all or part of your marketing mix reinforces four more of direct marketing's oldest rules of thumb:

1. You "know" nothing until you test.

2. Keep meticulous records.

3. Believe the numbers, but know what the numbers mean.

4. Act on what you learn

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