How To Promote Your Online Store

OK. So you took the leap and started your online store. But, oops, there are no customers and your store is lost in the crowd. All is not lost. You just need to be very creative in how you market your site. The key thing to remember as you market your site is "people buy from people, not companies."

To make money online: 1) You must get traffic to your site. 2) You must convert that traffic to paying customers. To begin simply create a T-chart. Label one column "Traffic" and the other "Conversion." Then brainstorm what methods you will use to to make those happen and turn them into an action plan.

Traffic suggestions for you:

Pay per click
Offline advertising
Article marketing
Newsletter
Autoresponders
Word of mouth
Joint ventures / strategic partnerships
Talks to groups
Participation in online forums / discussion groups

Most online stores are extremely competitive (what's not these days?) and they compete on price - one of the worst ways to compete. What you need to do is find a way to take the focus off the money, find your unique value and promote it from there.

So how do you do that? First you have to know who your prospect is so you can speak to them directly. Hint: Your market is not everyone or anyone. Once you know who your prospect is, you can implement tactics that will convert them into customers.

Here are some ideas that will help your conversion rate:

Bundled products
Free gift with purchase
Regular newsletter
Autoresponder course
Helpful content on your website
Companion blog for your website

These should get you thinking about where you need to go. This is not by any means a complete, comprehensive list -- just a start. Begin by putting all of your ideas together in an action plan. Use your action plan to drive what you do every day. Spend at least one hour on these tasks per day. In no time you'll find you've made a lot of progress.

Denise O'Berry helps small business owners take action to grow their business. Find out more at http://www.smallbusinessmatters.com

MORE RESOURCES:

Initiate Your Web site Promotion with cost efficient, affordable ... - Promotion World (press release)

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-0fd=Rurl=http://www.promotionworld.com/news/press/081120NicheForSEO.htmlcid=1272519835ei=ctIlScDGB4u-9gSRgr2xAQusg=AFQjCNFuQtQpioF0lOAx31Zs3DbdwwTpeQInitiate Your Web bsite Promotion/b with cost efficient, affordable b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPromotion World (press release),nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1www.nicheforseo.com is a professional Search engine marketing and search engine optimization company established in India. We the founders of this company b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Sun, Joyent offer free Web hosting to Bebo developers - Computerworld

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do%3Fcommand%3DviewArticleBasic%26articleId%3D9120161%26intsrc%3Dnews_ts_headcid=0ei=ctIlScDGB4u-9gSRgr2xAQusg=AFQjCNE2IiIUtBFWXMSpYM0vy5pa1AjaTwSun, Joyent offer free Web hosting to Bebo developers/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fComputerworld,nbsp;MAnbsp;-/font nobrNov 13, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Winners will be announced at a Bebo developer event early in 2009. Prizes will be offered by Sun and winners also receive on-bsite promotion/b on Bebo./font/div/font/td/tr/table

Bebo Launches Tools, Contest For Developers - InformationWeek

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-0fd=Rurl=http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/social_network/showArticle.jhtml%3FarticleID%3D212002152%26subSection%3DWeb%2BDevelopmentcid=1269635245ei=ctIlScDGB4u-9gSRgr2xAQusg=AFQjCNGhQ1u9rSCikqKN3TDewgDZSEnX4gBebo Launches Tools, Contest For Developers/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fInformationWeek,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobrNov 12, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1They will win prizes from Sun Microsystems, as well as on-bsite promotion/b through Bebo. quot;Bebo#39;s Open Application Platform has allowed developers of all sizes b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Sun, Joyant Offer Free Bebo Hosting - Web Host Industry Review

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/111208_Sun_Joyant_Offer_Free_Bebo_Hosting.cfmcid=0ei=ctIlScDGB4u-9gSRgr2xAQusg=AFQjCNFQwocFZ-zSpqLM8hrKKiifEHQKKwSun, Joyant Offer Free Bebo Hosting/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWeb Host Industry Reviewnbsp;-/font nobrNov 12, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b where developers can compete to win one of many prizes offered by Sun, as well as the opportunity to receive some on-bsite promotion/b on Bebo. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

iHOUSE Web Solutions Answers the Question of Whether to Require ... - PR Web (press release)

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/11/prweb1598374.htmcid=1269483912ei=ctIlScDGB4u-9gSRgr2xAQusg=AFQjCNEzypdXTwCBVBKj9eTnM3JmAC1HIwiHOUSE Web Solutions Answers the Question of Whether to Require b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPR Web (press release),nbsp;WAnbsp;-/font nobrNov 12, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Through continued, successful designs of user-friendly real estate agent websites and other products for real estate web bsite promotion/b, the company has b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Announces New Auto Insurance ... - MarketWatch

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/New-Jersey-Chamber-Commerce-Announces/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BE5F04611-9CD6-4BF1-8821-F101AABBE4CA%257Dcid=1263796366ei=ctIlScDGB4u-9gSRgr2xAQusg=AFQjCNEXGnh7-d_ptCQDxjiQhefigqgr6QNew Jersey Chamber of Commerce Announces New Auto Insurance b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobrOct 28, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b benefit to member companies through a number of cooperative efforts including direct mail, web bsite promotion/b, worksite enrollment, and Chamber events. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

SEO : Getting Great Organic Rankings - Promotion World (press release)

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://www.promotionworld.com/se/articles/article/081107seogetting.htmlcid=1268188536ei=ctIlScDGB4u-9gSRgr2xAQusg=AFQjCNH9ljIQW91Togvigzr1jsyB7-zYmASEO : Getting Great Organic Rankings/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPromotion World (press release),nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobrNov 7, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Selecting right effective keyword for search engine optimization and web bsite promotion/b is key. Automatic generate, suggestion and analyze the most top b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

High Point Auto Insurance Offers New Jersey Chamber Members Discount - Insurance Journal

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2008/10/29/95089.htmcid=1264243572ei=ctIlScDGB4u-9gSRgr2xAQusg=AFQjCNEpIJ7eoklUacL_3lMUhXauLPtaLgHigh Point Auto Insurance Offers New Jersey Chamber Members Discount/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fInsurance Journal,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobrOct 29, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Chamber President Joan Verplanck said Chamber and High Point will market this new benefit to member companies through direct mail, web bsite promotion/b, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

AOL’s Bebo improve application development platform - Social Media Portal

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Bebo Follows Facebook’s Lead and Becomes Developer Friendly - Hit Search

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://www.hitsearchlimited.com/news/9991660/cid=0ei=ctIlScDGB4u-9gSRgr2xAQusg=AFQjCNHdY6a98qUaHq-prSvK42mUE63niQBebo Follows Facebook’s Lead and Becomes Developer Friendly/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fHit Search,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobrNov 12, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Winners will be announced at a future Bebo developer event in early 2009, and will win prizes from Sun Microsystems and on-bsite promotion/b on Bebo. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Site-Promotion - Google News

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