Online marketing is exploding. Everywhere you look, people are handing out advice. Every week, someone launches a brand new “Do It My Way” video course to teach you how to make a fast buck on the internet. Given the abundance of marketing gurus, products, and methods out there, it’s easy to become confused and overwhelmed. With all this information available, how does a beginner sift through the mountains of available material and find proven strategies for succeeding online?

Keep it simple.

Now, I didn’t say that to sound condescending or flippant. The truth is, the only way to stay focused, produce results, and move forward, is to streamline your thinking and your approach. Keep it simple.

First, what is needed to sell products or information on the internet? A website…of course, is crucial. Okay, is that enough? This is where a lot of beginners fall apart. They spent tons of time and money creating a beautiful website and nobody came to visit. This happens offline as well. You need customers. So, if you were an offline store, how would you get customers? Marketing. Let me say that again. Marketing.

It sounds so easy, but it’s the step most people discount or shy away from. You must market your site so you can get visitors to see your products or information. If you’re working online, marketing ads up to links. Plain and simple, links will help others find your store.

That said, not all links are equal in value. A good way to start is to exchange links with similar themed websites. In this way, you can get visitors from someone else’s site. In turn, when people visit your site, they can check out your link partner’s site. These reciprocal links are helpful, but they are not as valuable as one-way links. One way links are viewed by search engines as votes for your site. Because they aren’t reciprocal, because you’re giving a vote without asking for anything in return, they’re viewed as valuable. The more links you have of this type, the higher Google will rank your site in the search engine results.

If you’re just starting out, link directories can be helpful. Just type in a search for free link directories. You can amass a lot of one-way links this way.

Another great method is article marketing. You can submit articles with themes that match your site’s content to article directories. At the end of eth article you provide a resource box with a link back to your site. Do a search engine lookup for a list of article directories. After you submit to them, they will approve and publish your articles. Every time someone reads an article, they will have the opportunity to visit your site. As a bonus, other publishers may put the article on their site and eventually, you’ll have a stream of traffic coming into your site. Just remember, make sure your articles are original and your best work. This way, if your readers feel like they gained some insight from you, they’ll be more likely to want to visit your site for more information.

Social bookmarking sites like Digg and Stumble Upon offer another avenue for acquiring links. You can join, create a profile, and add your site as a bookmark. As other people check out your bookmarks, they’ll see your link and you’ll receive another opportunity for traffic.

While you’re just starting out in online marketing, try to avoid paying for your links until you know what you’re doing. Nothing will hasten failure like running out of money without getting any of the intended benefits. After you’ve created a diverse collection of links for your site, you will have a better understanding of where and when to spend money on outsourcing.

I wish you luck on your internet marketing journey.

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Category: Marketing
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