While most business owners already have a company website, many are just starting to market those sites online. Internet technology can be confusing and online marketing tools are no exception. From free search engine listings to pop-up ads, banners, keywords, and everything in between, the options for choosing components of a successful online marketing program are plentiful. This wide range of choices means the ability to custom build an online marketing program exists; it also means the process can be convoluted and overwhelming at times, as advertisers are sometimes left confused about exactly what they are buying and how effective it will be. A great place to begin marketing a company online is with a basic overview of the most common and effective online marketing tools available. The following list of reliable online marketing sources lays down the basics and will act as the first step to avoiding costly and time-consuming mistakes.

Stick With What You (and your customers) Know

The best place to start online is with services closely related to marketing channels the company already is familiar with and may be involved with off-line. Two main services most businesses owners will be familiar with when they go online are Directory Marketing and Banner Advertising, as they work on the same principles as print directory and display advertising.

Directory Marketing

Directory marketing means listing the company in the webbased version of the Yellow Pages™ or an industry-specific directory. Online directories generally use the same business model as printed directories—it’s free to list a basic name and number, but if you want to run an advertisement or link to your site, fees will apply. These are always great places to start marketing online because they are affordable and they put you where your potential customers are used to looking. Look for established printed directories or publications that are familiar to people in your industry or market, and seek out their online versions as a good place to start. The Internet is full of all sorts of dubious services and websites so using trusted and well-known media sources are the best bet to ensure your message reaches your intended market.

Banner Advertising

Banner advertising is easy for marketers to understand and value—it’s just like running display advertisement in a magazine or newspaper, except the ads appear on a website. Most magazine, newspaper, or industry-dedicated websites offer a variety of advertising positions and sizes to choose from. Like traditional magazines these sites usually offer highlyspecific content that appeals to a highly-targeted group of people, meaning advertisers get the company message in front of potential customers and entice them to “click through” to their sites. Banner advertising is generally used by companies looking to build strong brand awareness in their marketplace and not as often for direct sales.

Search Marketing

The explosion of new online advertising services has largely been driven by the technology’s ability to deliver precise statistical information in real time. Technology companies were quick to realize the lack of statistical data available in tracking traditional media and devised a multitude of services designed to amass relevant data for advertisers. While traditional media companies struggled to devise ways to tap into the online market, new, Internet-dedicated media companies blazed forward creating online marketing services and capturing this emerging market. While some new media companies achieved good results for their clients, others simply cashed in on the stampede of business owners looking at the Internet to answer all their sales and marketing needs.

Search marketing is probably the most common new media marketing service. Like directory marketing, search marketing starts with simply getting a website indexed for free on major search engines such as Google and Yahoo! (Free listings are something website owners should take advantage of; however, they only play a small role in marketing a business online and should not be the sole focus of an online marketing plan. A whole industry – known as Search Engine Optimization – has emerged based on people’s desire to rank first in the free listings on major search engines. This industry is fraught with dubious business practices and high pressure sales techniques that often deliver little in the way of meaningful results.) A better choice in search marketing involves using paid services offered by global search sites like Google and Yahoo! These services allow advertisers and their media representatives to target specific demographic groups, regions, and keywords. Unlike free listings, these highly targeted paid services help to ensure advertisers receive quality web traffic for their investment. These services also allow companies of all sizes with all types of budgets to participate.

Like in any other advertising medium, the key to online advertising is to know your target market. When you how many people make up your target market, where they are looking for product and service information, and what they are searching for you’ll be well informed to make the right decisions. One last thing to remember: online advertising is not just about getting a high number of clicks and impressions; it is about getting highly qualified potential customers to your site. Whether it is 10 or 10,000 visitors per month, site traffic only matters if it is made up of potential buyers—but that’s another story for next issue. JP

Joe Perraton is president of Point One Media, Inc. and can be reached at 877.755.2762 or <jperraton@pointonemedia.com>.