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In this article I will discuss how important is it to build community websites
rather than straight forward sales pitches. Selling online is about bringing
people together, not about stuffing products down your visitors throwts and
expecting them to buy from you.
We have conditioned our minds all of our lives to accept advertising billboards,
radio ads, newspaper ads, commercials, and all sorts of other advertising materials
wherever we go. The same applies on the internet. This "conditioning"
has enabled us to see past all the ads and look directly for the pertinant information
that we are seeking.
People who are new to the internet are more likely to click on your ads for
no apparent reason but to simply search and keep searching. Others that have
beed online for years now, tend not to pay attention to as many ads on a daily
basis like they used to.
If you are serious about making money online without having to spend too much
of your budget, create a "community online". It is in our nature as
human beings to want to belong, or to be involved within a community setting.
Communities come in all shapes & sizes and are not limited to gender, race,
nationality, or religion. A community can cater to whatever topic you wish and
welcome whomever you desire.
Same concept applies to your website!
Building a community within your website is the key to increasing your business,
keeping visitors coming back, and keeping your advertising budget in the bank.
Show your visitors that you aren't just here on the internet to sell them something.
For example, we (Smartads), we are here to teach what we know about internet
marketing. By teaching, we too learn more, gain more business, and attract new
visitors.
RESIDUAL TRAFFIC IS THE KEY!
As i've always mentioned to my clients & readers, getting people to your
website is the easy part. Anyone with a $500 credit card can get traffic to
their website, it's keeping them there and getting your visitors to come back
on their own time is what makes owning a website a dificult proposition.
Visitors always come back to communities they can relate to!
I always to go back to internet marketing communities online like:
www.webpronews.com
www.sitepronews.com
www.searchenginewatch.com
and so on... There are many internet marketing resources available for business
owners. We are fortunate to have access to the vast amount of resources that
we do, in order to increase our business & to increase our knowledge.
More resources online also increases competition. There are literally millions
of websites out there and many of them might possibly be your competitors. Without
building a community, people won't remember who you are, or what it is that
you do. Infact, if you are spending all of your money on banner ads, pay per
click advertising, affiliates, and other marketing areas online, and at the
same time you aren't paying attention to increasing your home base, when your
advertising budget runs out so too will the bulk of your traffic.
If your website isn't good enough, your sales won't be good enough. Granted;
building a website can be very time consuming but just remember that you don't
need to create an empire over night. Just a little here, a little there, and
before you know it, it all adds up to something you can be proud of. Over time,
your website traffic will constantly be increasing.
PLEASE NOTE: If you stop advertising, your traffic won't grow. Growing your
website is all part of the whole plan.
What do we need to create a community website?
You always want to add extras to your site that interest you. By doing so,
you will also attract people with similar interests and help to bridge the credibility
gap online.
You can always add these to your website:
Personal blog
Helpful tips
Mini-ebook courses (on how to be a better client for you)
Other people's articles
Chat forum (requires a lot of maintenance & promotion)
Free business directory listings
Family albums for users
Fun online questionnaires
Mind benders
Games
Contests (with actual prizes)
"How to" articles
Government resources
Local community resources
Support local companies & vice versa
I think we can now get a sense of what building a "community" website
means. The key is to take your industry (even if it is boring), and teach someone
about what it is that you do. The internet allows us to take in more information
than we could ever imagine. There is always someone out there who wants to learn
about your industry.
The key is to add on a little at a time. Talk to your web designer. Try and
find unique little ways to build a community website online. Ask people what
they look for within your industry. After time, you will know what it takes
to keep creating more for your company online, and your wallet will love you
for it.
Just remember the more you build, the less your advertising budget will be
when you get there. Just keep it up until you get there, don't give up on yourself,
your company, or your future.
I hope you've enjoyed this article!
About the Author:
Best Regards,
Martin Lemieux
Smartads President
Smartads International: http://www.smartads.info
Internet Marketing Tips: http://web-marketing.smartads.info
Business Resources: http://mindpower.smartads.info
Smartads Canada: http://www.smartads.ca
Canadian SEO Consultants: http://www.seoconsultants.ca
Smart Ad Search: http://www.smartadsearch.ca |
