Let's take a look at the present state of Internet Marketing.
Does your business have a web site? How do you market that web site? Do you put the URL on your business cards, flyers, newspaper ads, phone book ads, etc.
But how do you market your website - your business - on the Internet? Are you stating that someone still has to see your advertisement in the newspaper; have your business card, in order to find your web site? Isn't your web site supposed to stand alone? Before the Internet, how did you advertise your business? Business cards, newspaper ads, the Yellow Pages.
All of those ads were planned to get the customer to call YOU.
They were the direct connection from the customer to you.
Now, enter the Internet.
Most businesses today have web sites.
Everyone said, "Your business needs a internet site.
" Why? So that you could put the URL on your business cards, in your newspaper ads, in your phone book listing? What is the point of having a website? Why NOT have one? They can be cheap.
Many businesses see their web site as the equivalent of a color brochure about their business.
It is cheaper than printing and sending out pamphlets.
You give someone a business card, and they might go to your web site and look at your offerings.
Somebody scans your ad in the newspaper; if they have an interest in your product, "Oh, there's their web site address.
I'll go look it up.
" The funny thing here is that you are practicing the same old methods to advertise your website.
You should be marketing your business; now you're re-directing customers to your website.
Instead of calling you, they're going to your website first.
You are essentially advertising an advertisement.
Don't believe me? Then consider this: before the internet, did you ever put your phone book ad page number on your business card? Ludicrous, you say? Your web site has now become a buffer from customer contact.
Of course, steering a customer to a web site could also be seen as a way of qualifying OUT those candidates that just weren't that interested.
But isn't that YOUR job? Wasn't the point of all that pricey advertising to get customers to call YOU? But the real problem here is that your web site is supported by old-style marketing: business cards, paper ads, etc.
More and more people are searching on the Internet, which means that they don't have your business card; and if they did, they probably already threw it away.
The ordinary Internet user is performing 35 searches DAILY.
How many business cards do you pass out in a day? OH, sure, your paper ad has a circulation of 56,000...
but the risk is not whether anyone will find the ad.
The gamble is whether potential prospects will see the ad and respond.
The bottom line is that people are doing searches on the Internet because they are looking for data..
..
will they find YOU? Or your competition? The phone book used to be the place where people would look when they were genuinely interested in a product or service, and it still is, to an extent.
But, more and more, people are searching Google.
I don't recall ever seeing my 17-yr-old daughter using the phone book...
but she is NEVER without her laptop computer and cellphone...
even when watching TV! (I guess they call that multi-tasking!) OK, so more people are using Google.
Now the question is, how 'deep' do they go? Most searchers don't look past Page 1, which means if you're #11 your ad has a very small chance of even being seen.
If you are not on Google's Page 1 or 2, you don't exist! You need to be on Page 1 or 2.
End of story.
But how do you get on page 1, without spending money on AdWords? Online video submissions will put you on page 1 within hours.