E-Marketing: Some Things that Help It Succeed

Every successful on-line marketing campaign is built on solid marketing foundations. There is no silver bullet or quick fix solution. Instead, incremental improvement over time based on core marketing principles will usually lead to a profitable Internet marketing campaign.

Here are some important factors that can help you build a solid foundation for your Internet marketing campaign.

1. Value proposition
This is a major determining factor for the success of your campaign. The value proposition must be relevant to a visitor's needs, in order for them to convert to a sale. The more you refine your value proposition the better your conversion rate will be. You should test and measure headlines and sales copy on landing pages to determine the most effective value proposition.
You can test emphasizing a particular benefit in your headlines and sales copy or highlight a particular problem that you product/service solves. This also applies to your online advertising.

2. Ask nicely

The consumer's permission to communicate with them counts for everything. Tom's company, ZAAZ, builds its position on 'customer advocacy' – the idea that it represents the consumer's interests at the client's conference table. A good e-marketing campaign will be very vocal about clear, honest, opt-in propositions. Pitch it to lists of people who've already visited your site, visited your store or mailed in your response card.

3. Grow your list the hard way

Here's the bottom line: You want more e-mail addresses to hit with your message, while consumers increasingly want their privacy. The web-savvy consumer is realizing that his personal data is valuable to you, so on your website you have to propose a transaction: You have to offer information, value or privileges in return for a little initial consumer input. And for each extra item of data you want from them, you have to offer more. Again and again. You acquire customer knowledge one fact at a time.

4. Credibility
You must show that you are credible and trustworthy. You also must show competence. You can use client testimonials and display any professional certification that you have. Visitors need to know that you have the capability to deliver, while also feeling comfortable with the dealing with your business.

5. Landing page layout This has a massive impact on the number of sales you make from your website. The position of conversion forms, buy buttons and images can improve conversion rate. For example, a conversion form "below the fold" after some sales copy may work better than a conversion form "above the fold" before the sales copy and visa versa.

6. Lead with your brand 

Go for recognition. If you develop an effective viral vehicle that people willingly circulate on your behalf, you've got it absolutely right. But if not – and it's not easy to do – then you need to play the brand card in your e-mail messages. Use the brand name in the subject line to jog the recipient's memory and remind them that they authorized this communication. On the increasingly forbidding e-landscape, trust and trusted brands are becoming the only acceptable coin of the realm.

7. Serve your customer's agenda

Make offers that should logically appeal to the target audience. Avoid making offers that differ from their prior interests, or lean on too little history. If you're in the box business and your list is made up of known box buyers, that's easy enough. But for many of us the targeting isn't that simple - it can be far broader than that. Don't rely on 'automated agenda sensors'. According to Tom, the Amazon online shop is convinced that he's a Godzilla enthusiast just because he bought one Godzilla video as a gift for his young son. Now he just wishes that Amazon would back off a little on the Godzilla recommendations! When in doubt, do likewise.

8. Know your lifetime client value and try to increase it
This is particularly important when you are running a Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign. It's a good idea to work out the Net Present Value (NPV) and to use this as a guide when working out your PPC budget and bids.
On top of this, you should try to up-sell or try to get repeat business from your clients. As a result, maintaining a mailing list is important. You should also build an off-line infrastructure to facilitate this objective as well.

9. Be driven by customer lifetime value

It's a mistake to think that tricking consumers into dealing with you will build a long-lived business. A misleading offer, or a coercive and confusing website experience, may score a few visits in the short term - perhaps even a few dollars earned - but repeat business is better. The world wide web is good at maintaining and deepening relationships, if it is used correctly. Craft your opening messages and introductory pages as if the whole future of your business depends on their tone - which, in fact, it may do.
All in all, each Internet marketing campaign has it's own nuances. However, when stripped to the core, the same basic principles generally apply across the board. Building on a solid foundation will help you improve your chances of Internet marketing success. 

10. Be comment worthy
Free content that motivates people to link to it, like it on facebook or tweet about it is an important part in a successful Internet marketing strategy. A blog post, video, free download or ebook can be very effective in generating digital word of mouth. 

All in all, each Internet marketing campaign has its own nuances. However, when stripped to the core, the same basic principles generally apply across the board. Building on a solid foundation will help you improve your chances of Internet marketing success. 

Sources:

1. www.thewisemarketer.com (Retrieved on 12 February 2013 at 1120 hrs)

2. http://voices.yahoo.com/5-most-important-internet-marketing-success-factors-8445363.html (Retrieved on 12 February 2013 at 1120 hrs)