Eight No-Fail Steps for E-Commerce Marketing

By Jamila White, “The E-Commerce Diva” (Guest blogger)

I know how to get a blank stare from just about any e-commerce web site owner. All I have to do is ask them about their web site marketing plan! When I ask them about their web site marketing plan, I get that look. First the eyebrows go up. Then the eyes glaze over for a minute. And then the stammering begins.

“Uh, well, you know – I have my URL on my business card.”

“I, ah, I’m going to start an e-mail newsletter.”

Some of them may even mention something about “search engines.”But practically no one has a plan! And you know how the old saying goes: “Failure to plan is a plan to fail.”

Most small business owners I talk to are frustrated. They think their web site is a big waste of money. An “online business card.” A “marketing expense” that doesn’t return any of its investment.

And no wonder:

You’ve spent thousands on a pretty web design. You shell out dough each and every month for web site hosting. You may even be paying a webmaster to update the web site regularly. And month after month, year after year, the sales barely trickle in.

Marketing your web site is frustrating. It’s confusing! So we end up doing what all of us do when we’re frustrated and confused: deal with it “later.” And later never comes.

Know what? It’s not your fault! No one ever taught you how to market on the Internet, this new medium. (They sure didn’t cover that in my marketing class when I was in school.) And there’s all that hype on the Internet – so called web marketing gurus who’ve made millions online. But guess what? The only thing they’ve ever sold is reports and e-books on – what else – “how to market on the Internet.” They’ve never packed and shipped a box or ran down the street after the UPS guy.

But what if there was a formula you could follow, a step-by-step guide to creating an online sales machine?

After 10 years of marketing and selling on the web, I’ve boiled it down to a winning eight-step formula. This formula works for any web business, for any product from amber gemstone jewelry to zebra-print home accessories. In a nutshell, the eight no-fail steps of this formula are:

1. Define Your Goals: With no clearly defined purpose, your web site can’t succeed. Be specific with each goal, adding both an amount and a timeframe.
2. Take a Snapshot: How’s your web site performing now? Know your traffic stats and your “three magic numbers.”
3. Define Your Market: Who are you talking to? Be specific about who your products are for, and where these customers exist.
4. Get Them There: Build targeted web traffic by getting your target audience’s attention and creating an ongoing dialog.
5. Turn Site Visitors into Customers: Once you’ve gotten them to your web site, make sure you seal the deal before they leave. Know what they’re looking for, and what information they need to make a purchasing decision. Give it to them, then ask for the sale.
6. Increase Their Spending: Would you like some fries with that hamburger? Since they’ve got their wallet open, ask for the add-on or upsell.
7. Get Them Back: It’s cheaper to get an old customer to buy again than it is to recruit a new one. Make the experience memorable, and make the next one convenient.
8. Get Their Friends: A happy customer can be your best sales tool. Empower them to spread the word about your products and web site.

When you work each of these steps, your e-commerce marketing can’t fail.

© Copyright Jamila White. All rights reserved.

About the Author:

Jamila White, “The E-Commerce Diva™”, helps small business owners develop their web marketing strategy to attract new customers and sell more products during her six-week “Supersize Your Web Sales”™ Tele-Bootcamp. Learn more at http://www.ecommercediva.com/supersize

NOTE: You are welcome to forward or “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the “about the author” info at the end and the copyright notice) with live web links, and you send a copy of your reprint to articles@ecommercediva.com.

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Just what is a "Granpreneur"?

"I posted this comment on Entrepreneur this morning at a site called "Mompreneurs". I thought there should also be a term "Granpreneur", for retired grandmas who became business women."

Comment to pascalpublicity: "I loved your post on websites for new business women. I can totally relate, with a little twist. The twist is that I am 78 years old. I started my business 15 years ago, and found myself in the same predicament as you; not enough money to hire a web designer. I ended up learning how to do it myself on the internet, including writing HTML code. I designed my own site, at tripod.com, which I have maintained for 15 years. I consider myself a "granpreneur" (a grandma entrepreneur) and want other retired women, who have gone on to second career, in business, to know that they can do it too!"

When I started in business, I knew absolutely nothing about creating websites, much less getting around on the internet. The closest I had come to it, as a teacher, was using an old Apple, the kind Bill Gates gave to the schools, when they became obsolete. They were actually word processors. You could not get on the internet with them, but you could could write a "mean" article and hone your typing skills. When I came to Louisville, I didn't even have a PC, but my daughters, who were computer savvy, told me I needed one, since I now had my own business. I was so "green" I didn't even realize I had to advertise to let people know I was here.

I had to think about a website for my business. I definitely couldn't hire a designer, I didn't have the money to do that. But what I did have was passion, determination and a strong work ethic. I could cook, garden, decorate, and learn just about anything! So, I knew I could do this. I was definitely not a business person; I had always been in the arts. Artists use their right brains and bus/tech people use their left brains. I soon learned to use both. And found myself switching back and forth with a fury.

First thing I did was buy a desk top computer ( Now I also have a laptop, which I take with me everywhere). Then, I made the decision to design and maintain my own website. My daughters had done it, why couldn't I? I went to tripod.com and looked around. I found that I could build a website there using their editor, but I wanted to be my own webmaster. So, I learned to write HTML code. Who knew that I would love working on the computer with text and graphics for hours? Was I really a closet computer geek at heart? Maybe, maybe not. But there is one thing I know for sure. I am now a Granpreneur!
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