What You Will Find In Chapter
As a beginning Internet marketer, don't you wish you could consult a knowledgeable mentor who could guide you from e-commerce ignorance to insight? Wouldn't it be great to spend an afternoon chatting with that expert about the very things you most need to know? Well, you're in luck, because this chapter is precisely that experience.
Think Small!
The first thing to do, if you are a small business, is to remember to think small. You must not begin by deciding to put everything involving your small business on a Web site. That is the absolute opposite of the tack you should take because you can advertise and sell on the Internet today without needing a Web site and make it begin to work for you. Whether you are a retailer, a manufacturer, or service provider, it is practical for just about any kind of business. You can take advantage of Internet marketing in ways you never thought possible, because whatever goods or services you sell, you can get on the Web simply by collecting people's e-mail addresses. That is the first step for a small business: Start by collecting people's e-addresses.
How to Collect E-Mail Addresses
Ask people for their e-mail address at every point of contact. It is important to realize that e-mail is not the prospecting vehicle everyone seems to envision it to be. You can't just send e-mail to people you don't know and expect them to buy from you. We've all known for years that the best way to increase our profits is to get more business from our best customers. E-mail is a beautiful medium for that.
So what you do every time someone comes in or phones is to ask for their e-mail addresses.
Start with a Plan!
Because they will want to know what you'll do with their e-mail address, you need a plan before you begin. Are you going to start a weekly or monthly e-mail special? Will they get the first chance at new items of special interest to them or at the savings when you close out older inventory? Whatever your plan, make the reason something that will benefit them. Be completely honest Deliver what you promise.
Was this article helpful?