So, you’ve decided
to start your own small business. You’ve chosen the
products or services you want to sell. Now, you know
it’s time to dive head first into marketing.
Many people mistakenly rush into this process without
thinking it all the way through. You are so excited
to get your new company’s name out there and to see
your web page start popping up on the search engine
results pages. It definitely can be a bit intoxicating
to see things you created on a medium available to the
entire world. But this is where you must force yourself
to be more forward thinking.
What do I mean? Well, the easiest way to get your site
and your products out there is to just start getting
links, links and more links. And of course, you’ll want
to start running ads everywhere you can possibly afford
to put them.
This is where my “Green Eggs and Ham Theory” comes
into play. Now, green eggs and ham have arguably one
of the highest name recognition factors in the world.
However, how many people do you know that routinely
make or want to purchase them?
What does this have to do with your product or service?
Well, many experts agree that bulk acquisitions of links
and ad placements are one of the fastest ways to get
your site to show up in the rankings and searches. But
what could they really cost you in the long run?
You must consider what the long term effects of these
“quick fix” strategies could be and how much value to
place on those effects. First, let’s say that you’ve
purchased the cheapest 500 links to your site that you
could find. Now, are any of the sites those links are
coming from actually relevant to what you’re trying
to sell? Are the audiences of those sites potential
buyers for your product or service? Or on an even more
basic note, are you even able to know what sites your
links are going on when you purchase them? These are
all important questions to ask yourself because the
answers have a very real impact on the long term integrity
of your site.
As far as purchasing ads, again the same principles
exist. Where are your ads being placed? Do you know
for sure that the sites are relevant to yours, while
at the same time not your competitors?
It may be a lot more time consuming, but to be confident
in your marketing strategies and the integrity of your
strategy you’re best off searching for relevant places
to place ads and links.
If there’s one thing “Green Eggs and Ham” can teach
us, it’s that name recognition is not a surefire ticket
to the top of the sales ladder. People must recognize
the service or product we’re selling, and they must
see it as desirable!
Dana Wallert is the owner of an online virtual assistance
company. She has many years experience in sales and
marketing, as well as office management. Find more about
Dana and sign up to receive her free monthly newsletter
at DW Office Solutions - Virtual Assistant Services
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