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Net Marketing – How to advertise on the Internet
February 17, 2008
By: A.Retlick

Disclaimer: The author is not responsible for any negative feelings derived from reading this document. The contents herein may not be used in any form without written permission from the author.

As a small business owner you already know that it is important to advertise. Your marketing strategy is a key factor in the success or failure of your operation. With TV, radio, newspaper, direct mail and now the Internet, deciding how to allocate your advertising budget can be a challenge. All methods require planning and usually the help of a company that specializes in the chosen form of advertising. This article focuses on your marketing options on the Internet.

There are basically three ways to advertise on the Internet. Creating your own web site, using some form of text or image ad that can be placed on other web sites, and email. We are going to discuss each of these advertising methods in more detail.

Web Sites – Setting up a web site can be easy, but maintaining it, and getting placement in search engines may require technical assistance. There are two recurring costs involved with having a web site. There is a small annual fee for the URL (web site address) and web hosting (the place where your files are stored). In addition, if you decide to use the services of a web design firm, there will be setup and maintenance fees. These fees are usually deductible on your taxes as advertising expenses.

With a little training, you can create a web site yourself. But there are web design standards that you may not be unaware of. Failing to apply good web design standards may reflect poorly on the image that you are trying to create for your business. The other thing a web designer can do is to give you ideas for the content of your site. Web pages need to have good, up-to-date content, or people will not come back to visit your site. Many times, business owners don’t have the time required to keep a web site current. Remember, having a web site is a long-term commitment. Make sure it fits into your business plan.

Banner Ads – To keep things simple, I’m going to lump text ads and image ads into one group. Pop-up ads are pretty much useless now that the latest version of most browsers have a built-in pop-up blocker. The easiest way to get started with banner ads is to create one and share it with other web sites. Usually there is a small annual fee for the use of the space. But many web site owners will be open to the idea of using their web site to generate a little ad revenue. If you have your own site, there are web sites that will help you share your ad with other sites. Often there is no charge for this, but you do have to place a shared ad on your site to complete the deal.

Google has a service called Ad Words, which is very popular. For a fee, they will place your ad into their advertising system. This is different than search engine placement. Google ads appear on web pages whose owner has signed up for Google’s Ad Sense program. You create your ad, set a budget, and establish a per click fee. Google gets a piece of the action and the web site owner gets a few cents each time someone clicks on your ad. How well your ad does has a lot to do with how big your budget is. The service is easy to use, but a good web designer can help set things up if you don’t have the time. There are many similar services out there, but Google is the biggest player on the block.

Email Marketing – This type of advertising is a more direct approach, similar to direct mail, but it is done electronically. Unfortunately, email ads have gotten a bad reputation because of all the unsolicited and fraudulent emails out there. Effective on January 1, 2004, the Federal Trade Commission created law called the CAN SPAM act, which sets forth a list of rules for proper email ad distribution. One of the most important features of this law is that you must provide a way for people to be removed from future emails. This is usually referred to as an Opt-Out. You must also identify your company and the information may not be deceptive or misleading.

There are some good email-marketing companies out there that will assist you in creating and distributing your ad. They will also review your email ad for proper compliance to the CAN-SPAM act. Email lists are also available for purchase through these companies. Writing an effective email ad is similar to writing a good print ad. You must be accurate and follow good advertising guidelines. Once your ad is sent out, you need to track the response to see if you are getting a good return on your investment. The response rate for email is often similar to that of direct mail. You may need to adjust your strategy if the results do not meet your expectations. With about the same amount of planning and effort that goes into other forms of advertising, you can find ways to use the Internet to market your product or service to potential customers.

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