If asked what your single biggest challenge is in your internet marketing business, how would you answer? You might be like me and say something like, "I don't have enough money to put into it", "I am not getting enough return for what I do put in", or "I don't have enough time to maintain it". If you have the time and money, you may say the trouble is building your downline or your subscriber list, and keeping prospects and customers, or it may be turning customers into repeat customers. There are many challenges an internet marketer will face from the beginning of the online business and over time, but what we all really want to do is make money. The question is how an internet marketer with limited time and resources can most effectively do this?
First we have to remember that even though the bottom line is usually to make money online, our focus has to be on our customers and what their needs are throughout the life of our business. We think that owning an online business should make our lives less interactive with people, but it is just as important, if not more important to develop and maintain our relationships with our prospects and existing customers. This can take place mostly online if you want, but the more you make yourself available to your customers, by phone or even in person, the more likely they will be to stick with you and trust what they are getting into with you. It doesn't take much time or money, if any, to simply make yourself available. Once you do make contact with people, you have to put the time and energy into answering their calls and their questions as fully and completely as possible, but you will see that it's exactly this relationship building that will land you the trust and the sales you were looking for in the first place.
Part of establishing a solid relationship with your prospects and clients is discovering what they want, what their needs are, and what you can do for them. The internet marketing challenge is really just that - Finding out what your customers want and providing them with a solution that meets their needs. If the relationship is there first, you stand an even better chance of making sales and gaining repeat customers who are satisfied with what you provide. You can do this by making phone calls, sending emails, allowing your customers to try out your products or services for a free trial period, and then engaging them in the process of developing your business by asking them for feedback and testimonials.
Obviously you will want to provide a solution to more than one person. This is where you need to consider your target market or niche. Find something specific to focus your business on and target that specific audience rather than trying to cover too many areas at once, which may distract people from your business. Within in your niche, find a problem that needs solving and offer your solution as a product or service that people will be interested in purchasing, or offer it as a freebie. Then when that gets old, find a new problem and a new solution. Make sure you test out your products and services too, as well as your marketing techniques so that you know what's working and what's not.
Getting back to the making money aspect of business which is all at the back of every business person's mind...The way internet marketers do this is realizing that the challenge is really about people, and the quality of relationships you form with them on a consistent basis. Then you need to know that the solution to this challenge is coming up with a solution to solve their problems. The money might trickle in by chance without first having a relationship with your customers, but the real money comes after you've built and established trust with those you deal with. |
