Top 10 Internet Marketing Survivor’s Guide

Ok, onto our Top 10 Survivor’s Guide…

1) Level Your Expectations: First of all, I think there were a lot of pure-play Internet companies funded based on ludicrous ideas and expectations. They were doomed to fail from the start. So, take the wind out of your sails a bit, and re- evaluate just what your online plans are. Then ask others (non-friends, preferably) for their opinions, too. If they don’t seem to gung-ho, you might want to really go back to the drawing board.

2) Define Your Objectives: All too often, we get inquiries from companies who want to market their web site, but have no clearly defined purpose for doing so other than wanting to get visitors. Well, what do you want those visitors to do? Why have you built your site in the first place? What would you like to accomplish in marketing your site, and what would you use as benchmark measures for success in doing so?

3) Have a Plan: Flying by the seat of your pants is just not going to cut it. If you need a refresher on how to write an Internet marketing plan, review the tip “Writing Internet Marketing Plans“.

4) Diversify Your Options: Don’t rely on only one single marketing avenue (nor revenue source for that matter) to generate successful results. That’s like putting all your eggs into one basket, and you’re more likely to experience failure faster.

5) Conduct Thorough Research: It will probably help you take a little time to dig out new, different, or less well-known marketing opportunities rather than to just rely on the more obvious, mainstream ones. A combination of good, *qualified* marketing means will either give you better reach or less clutter.

6) Power Negotiate: Especially in these times, if you’re looking to advertise, you can get the most out of your bucks if you take an aggressive stance on buying. As the wise saying goes, “You don’t get unless you ask,” so I encourage you to ask and ask and ask. For more tips on online media buying read our recent tip “Two Marketing Conditions Make for Great Ad Buys!“.

7) Test, Test, Test: For crying out loud, don’t commit a boat- load of money upfront without knowing whether or not the results will work for you. Look at all the dot coms that lost their shirts by giving half of their funding to AOL for premier visibility! Instead, start small, see if you get results, and then re-up or move on.

Keep It Fresh: Netizens tire very quickly of the same old, same old. That’s one of the reasons why new ad formats tend to generate good response rates initially. Stay on top of the latest trends and changes in online advertising response rates and tweak your campaigns often.

9) Measure: Whether you’re conducting a campaign to generate sales or if you’re just trying to accomplish branding, you still ought to put in place some tools to help you measure the effectiveness of your efforts.

10) Review & Revise: Admit defeat when it stares you in the face. Not everything you do is going to yield you successful results, but recognizing this early enough to cut your losses and choose and new direction is the key to staying afloat.

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