Provided courtesy of:
Scott Segal
Online Marketing Company/Web Rent
http://www.metroguide.com/detroit
800-586-5582
(c) 1995

8 Tips To Live By For Marketing on the Internet

1.  Always keep your target audience in mind.  Every piece of information
on your site should cater to your target audience.  The Internet is used by
millions of people every day; many of these people are part of your target
market segment.  Before you begin to create your site, identify your target
audience and write your site based on what you would want to see if you
were in their shoes.  Whether you are advertising on the World Wide Web or
in Time Magazine, never forget the basics.  Be sure to make your web pages
simple, concise, focused, benefit driven and easy-to-understand.  Always
include a call to action on your web pages.


2.  The World Wide Web is only part of your on-line marketing campaign.
With all of the hype the World Wide Web is receiving, other key areas on
the Internet must not be overlooked as places to generate on-line sales and
compliment your World Wide Web efforts.  Newsgroups and mailing lists are
great places to get word out about your offerings.  While overt
solicitations are generally not accepted in Newsgroups or on Mailing Lists,
you may carefully get your ad message across by using "sig files".  These
are footers that you attach to every message posted to a Newsgroup or
Mailing List.  Your footer should include a very brief description of what
you do, your World Wide Web address and the address to your autoresponse
mailbox that people can send messages to and automatically receive
information about your products or services.  Your "sig file" should never
exceed 6 lines.


3.  Be sensitive to different web browsers.  Avoid having your web pages be
"browser specific."  Generally, no two web browsers display pages in the
exact same way.  With the wide variation of browsers on the market today,
you cannot assume that your viewers will be using any one browser.   Try
not to make your web pages browser dependent.  The tendency for many
developers is to create pages that look good in Netscape without regard for
how other browsers will view them.  Test your pages through many browsers
to assess their design points.


4.  Take advantage of every opportunity to promote your on-line
information.  Once your business is on-line you must let the world know
that they can find your company's information on the Internet.  Remember to
add your World Wide Web and e-mail addresses to your:  business cards,
letterhead, fax cover sheets, advertisements and marketing collateral.


5.  Links = traffic = sales.   The World Wide Web is essentially a mass of
documents connected together through hypertext and hypermedia.  It would
take someone a long, long time to find your site if it was not linked to
any other document on the Internet.  You must actively pursue links to your
pages by contacting other companies in your industry who sell complimentary
goods they promote via web pages and asking them to provide a link to your
page and you will link to theirs (trade).  Getting your site listed in the
major directories and search engines on the web can mean the difference
between a successful site and a failed one.  Links are the most important
part of your world wide web marketing campaign - bar none.


6.  Information is king.  Besides links, this is the other most important
element of a successful world wide web site.  The most highly traveled
sites on the web provide useful information, often referred to as "content"
in web speak.  For example, Hot Wired, which was one of the first on-line
"magazines" receives more than 300,000 hits per day.  This traffic is due
in large part to the quality of the content in this electronic publication;
not the quality of it's advertisements.  Information brings people back to
your site; your sales pitch will not bring most people back.  Offer
something of benefit to your target audience on your web site and you will
keep them coming back for more.


7.  Don't put your viewers to sleep.   Avoid making your web site too
"Harvard"-like, people using the web want to be entertained while they seek
out information.  Snappy graphics will add life to your site.  Make your
web site as fun and entertaining as possible, even if you cater to a
business clientele.  Have fun with your site, people love to see it.


8.  Change is good.  Information on your pages should change daily.  When
people know that your on-line material is regularly updated they are likely
to return often.  A site that always says the same thing offers the active
web "surfer" no reason to come back.  Always make time to keep your site
current and changing.