Mistake #1: You’re not doing anything

It amazes me how many people still think that all you have to do is a set up a Web site and be done with it. This common misconception like so many failed dotcoms may sound great, but it is completely naive for Internet marketing. If you are one of the masses that think “Hey I’ll just pick-up a copy of Web Sites for Dummies and build a web site on a free service next weekend�?, it’s time for a wakeup call. The website itself is a great marketing tool, but for the web site to serve a purpose there needs to be visitors. If you don’t have good content or work to build traffic you could be missing out on ten of thousands of dollars. So if you really want to succeed remember you have to do something

Mistake # 2: You start at the end instead of the beginning

I have a secret to tell you. When it is all said and done actually making money from your website will be the easiest thing to do. That bears repeating. Making money from your site will be the easiest part of being online. Do you think Wal-Mart or Target worry about cash registers and shopping carts before they figure out if they are in the right location to get people into their store? The hardest part of any business is generating interest and traffic. This should be your first focus. While a merchant account, shopping carts and catalogs play a vital part in ecommerce, they are not the reason people come to your Web site. If you start at the end, all those people you think are waiting to buy from you are not looking for you. In fact they won’t even know you exist. Start with your content, build your traffic and the rest will follow.

Mistake # 3: You Don’t Have a Domain Name

Yes, people actually make this mistake. If you don’t own a domain name (like http://www.abc.com) people will not take you seriously. The potential involved with having a domain name for your web site is staggering to say the least. Even if your business is a hobby you don’t want people to think it is. Having a domain name should honestly be one of your first expenses, and with many full service hosting providers, it’s included. Having your own domain name gives your business its own identity and authenticity, instead of just being a user of a free web hosting service. Remember, a Web site gives you credibility, and having a domain name is where that starts.

Mistake # 4: Hit or Miss Marketing

You can’t be everything to everyone. If you have pipe dreams of building the next multi billion dollar seller, I’m sorry to tell you that no matter how great your product is, not everyone wants it. You would be doing your business a huge disservice by not focusing on the people who do. A huge key to successfully marketing your products and services online is niche marketing. In other words you have to focus. Studies have shown that small businesses with focused marketing plans experience a 24 to 30% improvement in sales over those without. Unfortunately, most businesses learn this the hard way. They launch their online efforts without exploring which venue might be right for them and who their target is. On top of that, they don’t test any of their marketing. Online marketing without focusing on a niche and measuring the results is like going on a diet and never checking to see if it works! None of us would ever do that, would we? Then why market without focus? Your return on a focused campaign will always be greater than one without focus. You won’t know if you’ve received your money’s worth, and worse, you may have caused your own profit loss. Remember, your target market will not come to you unless you go to them first.

Mistake # 5: Your Web site is Not Customer Driven

Contrary to what you may believe your Web site should not be designed to your own particular tastes. What you think is certainly of interest, but it is more important to build the site for the customer…unless you will be the only one visiting. Almost 50% of a site’s visitors could go elsewhere due to poor navigation, slow downloads or confusing content. This is what I call “selfish marketing�?. Pointless animations and music, unnecessary pop-up windows and annoying Flash pop-over ads block visitors from getting what they really want — to buy something or gather information. Whether you design the site yourself, or outsource the task to a design firm. A well designed, customer focused website will be a successful one.

Mistake # 6: You don’t follow-up with Web site visitors

Did you know that it takes at least 7 contacts with a prospect to maximize the number of sales possible? Is your web site so focused on sales that you aren’t learning enough about your customers and visitors to provide them with meaningful, beneficial information? If so, you could be missing out on 70% - 90% of your potential Internet profits. After the sale or after the visit contact is just as important as contact prior to the sale, especially if you expect to make repeat sales or get people to refer you. For many businesses, having good back end follow-up determines whether the business succeeds or not. You have to follow-up because many times the most profitable sale is not made on first contact.

Mistake # 7: You don’t seek appropriate help

Most entrepreneurs do an extraordinary job at what they specialize in, but are not really that proficient in all of the aspects of running a business. They may be lacking the skills in people management, strategic planning, accounting, marketing, or operations and it is this lack of expertise that could ultimately lead to the demise of their business. There are a lot of talented people out there with failed businesses. Chances are these people did not seek out proper support. So instead of seeing accountants, bookkeepers, marketing reps and, yes, web professional as an expense, view them as investments in the success of your business. When it comes to online success, why try to be a Web professional? Focus on your core competencies and get the best to do the rest. Otherwise you are limiting the true potential of your business.

Mistake # 8: You don’t know who you are

Don’t worry about price. Don’t worry about features. If you do not know what makes you better more importantly unique, you are missing out on a key to business success. You have to have a USP. Your USP is your Unique Selling Proposition or, as I like to call it , Business DNA. It’s the one thing that makes you…you. Preferably, your USP should be something that is not easily duplicated by the competition. Remember, your “uniqueness�? does not have to be product related. There are many ways to set your company apart; the key is to find that difference and use it to set up and communicate a benefit for your customer.

Article courtesy of Kelsey Ruger | www.themoleskin.com

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