by Lou Belcher

Created on: May 10, 2009   Last Updated: July 26, 2009

Small businesses have much to lose if they make the wrong marketing decision. They just don't have the budgets to squander their marketing money on something that will not bring in customers. Efficiency in marketing is important. There are many ways to market on line and most of them are relatively inexpensive. Here are some of the new ways to market your small business on line.

1. Determine your market. Before you begin marketing determine who will buy your product or service? With some businesses, it's easy to find your customers, with others it takes a little longer. There are ways on line to investigate who is visiting your website. Therefore, if you can identify these people, you will have a better chance of determining who may become your customer. To trace this information, hook your website or blog up to a statistics site, such as Google Analytics. It will record and report who is showing an interest in your business.

2. A blog is a wonderful marketing tool. You may have heard of blogging for a while, but just recently people have begun to determine the many ways it is making a difference in their businesses. Your website contains the basic information about your business. That information doesn't change too often.

The information on your blog, however, is more fluid. You can put up new information every day, and you can also upload pictures to illustrate that information. In this manner, your blog can become a great marketing tool.

You can use it to post specials and to keep your customers informed of what is happening in your businesses. If you make frequent entries that are not just about selling your product or service; but if your entries include information people can use, you'll gain a following and perhaps you'll even develop a conversation with your customers. Anything you can do to determine how to serve your customers better and to make them feel that you are supporting them is going to benefit your business.

3. Add to the blog, the use of the social media networks, such as twitter, and you'll have a winning marketing combination. Use Twitter or other social media sites to gather the interest of potential customers. Through your activity on the social media sites and the notices you post there, you will drive customers to your blog and to the more in-depth conversation with you. Once the customer reaches you, it is important for you to given them something to make it worth their effort. The best marketing you can do at this time is to provide your customers with extra customer service. In today's world of voice mail and instant messages, those who take a little time to communicate with their customers and ask them what they want, will win a loyal following.

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