Most new online business owners think that Internet marketing is their magic pill to making more money. I have news for you ... It's not magic. It's a process. But once you work that process, it can work like magic!
- Collect leads
The best way to get leads online is to write unique, original articles that position you as the expert in your specific niche. And, it's not that hard. All you have to write is a simple 500-word "how-to" or "top tips" article that will solve your prospect's pain. Wonder what a "how-to article" is? You're reading one!
Then, submit your articles to the top websites, ezines and article directories that your targeted audience is reading. This way, you will be able to drive more website traffic and build your list.
- Get them into your sales funnel - and build your list
Once you've written your article, you need a way to get prospects into your "sales funnel". The best way to make this easy is to offer a special report, e-Book, e-course, checklist, audio, video or anything else your heart desires. Don't charge for the product. Your goal is to get names now, and make sales later. Put this information at the end of your article in what we call the bio box. In the bio box, you can promote your:
- Website
- Products
- Services
- Specific "call-to-action" that leads them to the special product you offer
Most people make the mistake of trying to sell high-priced products and services in the bio box. Getting visitors on your list should be your number one objective! Why? Up to 99% of your first-time visitors will not buy from you. They'll take a quick look and then they'll click away. If you did not capture their names and email addresses, you will have lost them forever.
- Follow up
Marketing studies have always shown that your prospects need to be exposed to your message at least seven times before they'll take any action. That's why you need to build and maintain relationships with your list.
This is where ezines, e-courses and auto-responders work like a charm. They will follow up for you automatically. It's like putting your marketing on autopilot, so you can just set and forget!
- Close the sale
Your ezine, e-courses, special reports and autoresponder messages should drive readers to what you have to offer. However, don't forget to provide useful content and information. That's why they gave you their names and emails, and that's why they'll stay on your list.
Here are two reasons why you shouldn't make the mistake of trying to sell from the actual email.
- You don't have the room in an email to fully explain what you're selling and demonstrate its value to the prospect
- It can turn people off who aren't ready to buy yet
You'll instantly lose those prospects from your list.The idea of the email is to get them excited about your offering and to get them to click. Once they click, then they should be taken to a sales page that you set up specifically for the product or service you're promoting. It's there and only there that the prospect will get the full scoop on how great your product, book or service is, why they need it, how much it costs and how to order.
- Upsell, and upsell again
It's been said for ages - "It is easier to sell an existing client a new product than to find a new client." So make sure you have other products available for sale online.
You need to continue developing valuable new products and programs that your customers will eat up like crazy. You can simply create new products by recycling the articles you used to collect leads.
You have it - the Internet sales cycle broken down into five easy parts. Now, you should see the missing links in your own Internet sales cycle. Have patience, keep learning and don't stop writing. You'll begin fill in these gaps, and start to see the magic of article marketing work for you.