The combination of all these factors results in an improved ROI and ultimately, more customers, happier customers and an improved bottom line.

Next up in the eMarketing 101 series: Having identified the "why" of eMarketing, our next article in the series will look at the "how". We’ll be glancing at some of the weaponry in the eMarketer's arsenal, and looking at how these tools should be used to target customers.

SEO, PPC, ORM, WebPR - the acronyms are never far behind. We'll take a brief look at each, defining what they are and giving some guidance in terms of which tactic to use in a given situation to ensure optimum ROI on advertising spend.

Later on, we'll examine each of these weapons more closely and see just how they are used to produce results.

Other Articles in the eMarketing 101 series:

• What is eMarketing and how is it better than traditional marketing?
• The Arrows in the eMarketer's quiver
• Blogging - everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?
• A focus on natural search (beginner's guide to SEO)
• Case Study
• PPC - you gets what you pays for
• Case Study
• Email marketing - no, not SPAM
• Affiliate marke
  Build and Maintain Websites For Profit
  Even with limited knowledge and experience, you can build and maintain websites for profit. Here are just some ways you can do so.1. Develop Websites for Local BusinessesApproach local business persons and sell them on the necessity and financial benefits of having a professional website. Local advertising may get you started as well, but expect to get a large portion of your business from referrals.Charge your clients for the initial design and setup of the website. Work with them to develop a theme for their site based on their unique advantages over the competition. Keep the site simple to start with so that the cost of producing it is not prohibitive to the business and you can complete it profitably in a short time.In this business, you can also make money on the maintenance and ongoing support of the website. Charge recurring monthly fees for such services needed as web hosting, updates and improvements to the site`s content,
  Marketing has pretty much been around forever in one form or another. Since the day when humans first started trading whatever it was that they first traded, marketing was there. Marketing was the stories they used to convince other humans to trade. Humans have come a long way since then, (Well, we like to think we have) and marketing has too.

  The methods of marketing have changed and improved, and we've become a lot more efficient at telling our stories and getting our marketing messages out there. eMarketing is the product of the meeting between modern communication technologies and the age-old marketing principles that humans have always applied.

  That said, the specifics are reasonably complex and are best handled piece by piece. So we’ve decided to break it all down and tackle the parts one at a time. This week we’ll be looking at the "what" and "why" of eMarketing, outlining the benefits and pointing out how it differs from traditional marketing methods.

  By the end of the series we're pretty sure you'll have everything you need to tell better marketing stories.

  What is eMarketing? Very simply put, eMarketing or electronic marketing refers to the application of marketing principles and techniques via electronic media and more specifically the Internet. The terms eMarketing, Internet marketing and online marketing, are frequently interchanged, and can often be considered synonymous.

  eMarketing is the process of marketing a brand using the Internet. It includes both direct response marketing and indirect marketing elements and uses a range of technologies to help connect businesses to their customers.

  By such a definition, eMarketing encompasses all the activities a business conducts via the worldwide web with the aim of attracting new business, retaining current business and developing its brand identity.

  Why is it important? When implemented correctly, the return on investment (ROI) from eMarketing can far exceed that of traditional marketing strategies.

  Whether you're a "bricks and mortar" business or a concern operating purely online, the Internet is a force that cannot be ignored. It can be a means to reach literally millions of people every year. It's at the forefront of a redefinition of way businesses interact with their customers.

  The benefits of eMarketing over traditional marketing Reach The nature of the internet means businesses now have a truly global reach. While traditional media costs limit this kind of reach to huge multinationals, eMarketing opens up new avenues for smaller businesses, on a much smaller budget, to access potential consumers from all over the world.

  Scope Internet marketing allows the marketer to reach consumers in a wide range of ways and enables them to offer a wide range of products and services. eMarketing includes, among other things, information management, public relations, customer service and sales. With the range of new technologies becoming available all the time, this scope can only grow.

  Interactivity Whereas traditional marketing is largely about getting a brand's message out there, eMarketing facilitates conversations between companies and consumers. With a two-way communication channel, companies can feed off of the responses of their consumers, making them more dynamic and adaptive.

  Immediacy Internet marketing is able to, in ways never before imagined, provide an immediate impact.

  Imagine you're reading your favourite magazine. You see a double-page advert for some new product or service, maybe BMW's latest luxury sedan or Apple's latest iPod offering. With this kind of traditional media, it's not that easy for you, the consumer, to take the step from hearing about a product to actual acquisition.

  With eMarketing, it’s easy to make that step as simple as possible, meaning that within a few short clicks you could have booked a test drive or ordered the iPod. And all of this can happen regardless of normal office hours. Effectively, Internet marketing makes business hours 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for every week of the year.

  By closing the gap between providing information and eliciting a consumer reaction, the consumer's buying cycle is speeded up and advertising spend can go much further in creating immediate leads.

  Demographics and targeting Generally speaking, the demographics of the Internet are a marketer's dream. Internet users, considered as a group, have greater buying power and could perhaps be considered as a population group skewed towards the middle-classes.

  Buying power is not all though. The nature of the Internet is such that its users will tend to organise themselves into far more focussed groupings. Savvy marketers who know where to look can quite easily find access to the niche markets they wish to target. Marketing messages are most effective when they are presented directly to the audience most likely to be interested. The Internet creates the perfect environment for niche marketing to targeted groups.

  Adaptivity and closed loop marketing Closed Loop Marketing requires the constant measurement and analysis of the results of marketing initiatives. By continuously tracking the response and effectiveness of a campaign, the marketer can be far more dynamic in adapting to consumers' wants and needs.

  With eMarketing, responses can be analysed in real-time and campaigns can be tweaked continuously. Combined with the immediacy of the Internet as a medium, this means that there's minimal advertising spend wasted on less than effective campaigns.

  Maximum marketing efficiency from eMarketing creates new opportunities to seize strategic competitive advantages.

  The combination of all these factors results in an improved ROI and ultimately, more customers, happier customers and an improved bottom line.

  Next up in the eMarketing 101 series: Having identified the "why" of eMarketing, our next article in the series will look at the "how". We’ll be glancing at some of the weaponry in the eMarketer's arsenal, and looking at how these tools should be used to target customers.

  SEO, PPC, ORM, WebPR - the acronyms are never far behind. We'll take a brief look at each, defining what they are and giving some guidance in terms of which tactic to use in a given situation to ensure optimum ROI on advertising spend.

  Later on, we'll examine each of these weapons more closely and see just how they are used to produce results.

  Other Articles in the eMarketing 101 series:

  • What is eMarketing and how is it better than traditional marketing?
  • The Arrows in the eMarketer's quiver
  • Blogging - everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?
  • A focus on natural search (beginner's guide to SEO)
  • Case Study
  • PPC - you gets what you pays for
  • Case Study
  • Email marketing - no, not SPAM
  • Affiliate market
    Ignorance Can Lead to CEO Lawsuits
    The federal government continues to pressure executives that fail to add stakeholder value while amassing personal wealth, sending a strong precautionary signal to other executives.The two executive in the best position to recognize the financial conditions as Kmart was heading rapidly toward bankruptcy, CEO Chuck Conaway and CFO John McDonald, are being held accountable by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC feels the pair made statements that indicated the company's financial difficulties were not as dire as they actually were in the period just prior to the company's January 22, 2002 Chapter 11 filing.The duo lost bids before US District Judge Paul Gadola in Flint, Michigan, to drop the case despite an arbitration panel that cleared Conaway in a previous suit filed by creditors. The panel found "no basis to hold Conaway personally liable for Kmart's misfortunes." However, an internal Kmart investigation found Conaway misled the board of directors abou
    rong>, are frequently interchanged, and can often be considered synonymous.

    eMarketing is the process of marketing a brand using the Internet. It includes both direct response marketing and indirect marketing elements and uses a range of technologies to help connect businesses to their customers.

    By such a definition, eMarketing encompasses all the activities a business conducts via the worldwide web with the aim of attracting new business, retaining current business and developing its brand identity.

    Why is it important? When implemented correctly, the return on investment (ROI) from eMarketing can far exceed that of traditional marketing strategies.

    Whether you're a "bricks and mortar" business or a concern operating purely online, the Internet is a force that cannot be ignored. It can be a means to reach literally millions of people every year. It's at the forefront of a redefinition of way businesses interact with their customers.

    The benefits of eMarketing over traditional marketing Reach The nature of the internet means businesses now have a truly global reach. While traditional media costs limit this kind of reach to huge multinationals, eMarketing opens up new avenues for smaller businesses, on a much smaller budget, to access potential consumers from all over the world.

    Scope Internet marketing allows the marketer to reach consumers in a wide range of ways and enables them to offer a wide range of products and services. eMarketing includes, among other things, information management, public relations, customer service and sales. With the range of new technologies becoming available all the time, this scope can only grow.

    Interactivity Whereas traditional marketing is largely about getting a brand's message out there, eMarketing facilitates conversations between companies and consumers. With a two-way communication channel, companies can feed off of the responses of their consumers, making them more dynamic and adaptive.

    Immediacy Internet marketing is able to, in ways never before imagined, provide an immediate impact.

    Imagine you're reading your favourite magazine. You see a double-page advert for some new product or service, maybe BMW's latest luxury sedan or Apple's latest iPod offering. With this kind of traditional media, it's not that easy for you, the consumer, to take the step from hearing about a product to actual acquisition.

    With eMarketing, it’s easy to make that step as simple as possible, meaning that within a few short clicks you could have booked a test drive or ordered the iPod. And all of this can happen regardless of normal office hours. Effectively, Internet marketing makes business hours 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for every week of the year.

    By closing the gap between providing information and eliciting a consumer reaction, the consumer's buying cycle is speeded up and advertising spend can go much further in creating immediate leads.

    Demographics and targeting Generally speaking, the demographics of the Internet are a marketer's dream. Internet users, considered as a group, have greater buying power and could perhaps be considered as a population group skewed towards the middle-classes.

    Buying power is not all though. The nature of the Internet is such that its users will tend to organise themselves into far more focussed groupings. Savvy marketers who know where to look can quite easily find access to the niche markets they wish to target. Marketing messages are most effective when they are presented directly to the audience most likely to be interested. The Internet creates the perfect environment for niche marketing to targeted groups.

    Adaptivity and closed loop marketing Closed Loop Marketing requires the constant measurement and analysis of the results of marketing initiatives. By continuously tracking the response and effectiveness of a campaign, the marketer can be far more dynamic in adapting to consumers' wants and needs.

    With eMarketing, responses can be analysed in real-time and campaigns can be tweaked continuously. Combined with the immediacy of the Internet as a medium, this means that there's minimal advertising spend wasted on less than effective campaigns.

    Maximum marketing efficiency from eMarketing creates new opportunities to seize strategic competitive advantages.

    The combination of all these factors results in an improved ROI and ultimately, more customers, happier customers and an improved bottom line.

    Next up in the eMarketing 101 series: Having identified the "why" of eMarketing, our next article in the series will look at the "how". We’ll be glancing at some of the weaponry in the eMarketer's arsenal, and looking at how these tools should be used to target customers.

    SEO, PPC, ORM, WebPR - the acronyms are never far behind. We'll take a brief look at each, defining what they are and giving some guidance in terms of which tactic to use in a given situation to ensure optimum ROI on advertising spend.

    Later on, we'll examine each of these weapons more closely and see just how they are used to produce results.

    Other Articles in the eMarketing 101 series:

    • What is eMarketing and how is it better than traditional marketing?
    • The Arrows in the eMarketer's quiver
    • Blogging - everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?
    • A focus on natural search (beginner's guide to SEO)
    • Case Study
    • PPC - you gets what you pays for
    • Case Study
    • Email marketing - no, not SPAM
    • Affiliate marke
      The Forgotten Customers
      Driven by an ad offering a 40% savings on a much needed piece of office equipment I ventured to the store. I found what I was looking for but it did not appear to be on sale. I asked the nearest employee if the item really was on sale; he promptly went to ask the manager. It was very apparent by the animated discussion that ensued that the manager was not thrilled with the inquiry and upon his return, the employee apologetically advised me that the item was indeed 40% off.On my way out of the store (with the item) I came across the manager who made a point of telling me that his stock person had messed up the display, but that the employee who helped me should have known better.Is there something wrong with this picture? Yeah, and it’s all about how you treat your customers. We are all quite familiar with the formal definition of customer- a person who purchases goods or services from another; buyer; patron.1 I refer to them as buying customers (in this case, me). They ex
      and enables them to offer a wide range of products and services. eMarketing includes, among other things, information management, public relations, customer service and sales. With the range of new technologies becoming available all the time, this scope can only grow.

      Interactivity Whereas traditional marketing is largely about getting a brand's message out there, eMarketing facilitates conversations between companies and consumers. With a two-way communication channel, companies can feed off of the responses of their consumers, making them more dynamic and adaptive.

      Immediacy Internet marketing is able to, in ways never before imagined, provide an immediate impact.

      Imagine you're reading your favourite magazine. You see a double-page advert for some new product or service, maybe BMW's latest luxury sedan or Apple's latest iPod offering. With this kind of traditional media, it's not that easy for you, the consumer, to take the step from hearing about a product to actual acquisition.

      With eMarketing, it’s easy to make that step as simple as possible, meaning that within a few short clicks you could have booked a test drive or ordered the iPod. And all of this can happen regardless of normal office hours. Effectively, Internet marketing makes business hours 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for every week of the year.

      By closing the gap between providing information and eliciting a consumer reaction, the consumer's buying cycle is speeded up and advertising spend can go much further in creating immediate leads.

      Demographics and targeting Generally speaking, the demographics of the Internet are a marketer's dream. Internet users, considered as a group, have greater buying power and could perhaps be considered as a population group skewed towards the middle-classes.

      Buying power is not all though. The nature of the Internet is such that its users will tend to organise themselves into far more focussed groupings. Savvy marketers who know where to look can quite easily find access to the niche markets they wish to target. Marketing messages are most effective when they are presented directly to the audience most likely to be interested. The Internet creates the perfect environment for niche marketing to targeted groups.

      Adaptivity and closed loop marketing Closed Loop Marketing requires the constant measurement and analysis of the results of marketing initiatives. By continuously tracking the response and effectiveness of a campaign, the marketer can be far more dynamic in adapting to consumers' wants and needs.

      With eMarketing, responses can be analysed in real-time and campaigns can be tweaked continuously. Combined with the immediacy of the Internet as a medium, this means that there's minimal advertising spend wasted on less than effective campaigns.

      Maximum marketing efficiency from eMarketing creates new opportunities to seize strategic competitive advantages.

      The combination of all these factors results in an improved ROI and ultimately, more customers, happier customers and an improved bottom line.

      Next up in the eMarketing 101 series: Having identified the "why" of eMarketing, our next article in the series will look at the "how". We’ll be glancing at some of the weaponry in the eMarketer's arsenal, and looking at how these tools should be used to target customers.

      SEO, PPC, ORM, WebPR - the acronyms are never far behind. We'll take a brief look at each, defining what they are and giving some guidance in terms of which tactic to use in a given situation to ensure optimum ROI on advertising spend.

      Later on, we'll examine each of these weapons more closely and see just how they are used to produce results.

      Other Articles in the eMarketing 101 series:

      • What is eMarketing and how is it better than traditional marketing?
      • The Arrows in the eMarketer's quiver
      • Blogging - everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?
      • A focus on natural search (beginner's guide to SEO)
      • Case Study
      • PPC - you gets what you pays for
      • Case Study
      • Email marketing - no, not SPAM
      • Affiliate marke
        Tips For Starting A Wedding Planning Blog
        Anyone who has been on the internet lately understands that blogs are the next big thing.From politics and pop culture to the latest fashions and celebrity news, there are blogs covering just about every subject imaginable. One of the most unique, and most useful, of these blogs is the wedding planning blog.==Creating A Real Sense Of Community Among The Users==A wedding planning blog is just what the name implies. It is a place for those planning weddings to gather to share information, swap stories and just generally have a good time.From serious subjects like avoiding wedding scams, to frivolous pursuits like swapping pictures of the most hideous bridesmaid dresses, wedding planning blogs can create a real sense of community among their users.==Places To Find A Wedding Planning Blog==There are many places to find a wedding planning blog, and many ways to create your own.Simply typing wedding planning blog into any searc
        on, the consumer's buying cycle is speeded up and advertising spend can go much further in creating immediate leads.

        Demographics and targeting Generally speaking, the demographics of the Internet are a marketer's dream. Internet users, considered as a group, have greater buying power and could perhaps be considered as a population group skewed towards the middle-classes.

        Buying power is not all though. The nature of the Internet is such that its users will tend to organise themselves into far more focussed groupings. Savvy marketers who know where to look can quite easily find access to the niche markets they wish to target. Marketing messages are most effective when they are presented directly to the audience most likely to be interested. The Internet creates the perfect environment for niche marketing to targeted groups.

        Adaptivity and closed loop marketing Closed Loop Marketing requires the constant measurement and analysis of the results of marketing initiatives. By continuously tracking the response and effectiveness of a campaign, the marketer can be far more dynamic in adapting to consumers' wants and needs.

        With eMarketing, responses can be analysed in real-time and campaigns can be tweaked continuously. Combined with the immediacy of the Internet as a medium, this means that there's minimal advertising spend wasted on less than effective campaigns.

        Maximum marketing efficiency from eMarketing creates new opportunities to seize strategic competitive advantages.

        The combination of all these factors results in an improved ROI and ultimately, more customers, happier customers and an improved bottom line.

        Next up in the eMarketing 101 series: Having identified the "why" of eMarketing, our next article in the series will look at the "how". We’ll be glancing at some of the weaponry in the eMarketer's arsenal, and looking at how these tools should be used to target customers.

        SEO, PPC, ORM, WebPR - the acronyms are never far behind. We'll take a brief look at each, defining what they are and giving some guidance in terms of which tactic to use in a given situation to ensure optimum ROI on advertising spend.

        Later on, we'll examine each of these weapons more closely and see just how they are used to produce results.

        Other Articles in the eMarketing 101 series:

        • What is eMarketing and how is it better than traditional marketing?
        • The Arrows in the eMarketer's quiver
        • Blogging - everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?
        • A focus on natural search (beginner's guide to SEO)
        • Case Study
        • PPC - you gets what you pays for
        • Case Study
        • Email marketing - no, not SPAM
        • Affiliate marke
          Start a House Cleaning Business with the Right Vacuum
          When I started my house cleaning business, I had a business plan and goals. One of those goals was to be known as a professional service with top paying clients. Establishing a business plan helped me define who these top paying clients were and how I would win them as my clients.At the time I started this house cleaning business, the upright vacuums with the tools-on-board were relatively new. When I saw my first bright orange German-made machine at the supply company, I fell in love and knew this was one way to stand out from the other cleaning services. Imagine my glee as I looked over this sleek machine with the HEPA filter, dual motor and furniture arm that would allow me to complete a room without the additional time and energy needed to interrupt my routine and retrieve the canister.This was a huge investment for me at the time, but I knew I could offset the cost with reduced cleaning time and acquire more customers by telling my prospects about
          ciency from eMarketing creates new opportunities to seize strategic competitive advantages.

          The combination of all these factors results in an improved ROI and ultimately, more customers, happier customers and an improved bottom line.

          Next up in the eMarketing 101 series: Having identified the "why" of eMarketing, our next article in the series will look at the "how". We’ll be glancing at some of the weaponry in the eMarketer's arsenal, and looking at how these tools should be used to target customers.

          SEO, PPC, ORM, WebPR - the acronyms are never far behind. We'll take a brief look at each, defining what they are and giving some guidance in terms of which tactic to use in a given situation to ensure optimum ROI on advertising spend.

          Later on, we'll examine each of these weapons more closely and see just how they are used to produce results.

          Other Articles in the eMarketing 101 series:

          • What is eMarketing and how is it better than traditional marketing?
          • The Arrows in the eMarketer's quiver
          • Blogging - everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?
          • A focus on natural search (beginner's guide to SEO)
          • Case Study
          • PPC - you gets what you pays for
          • Case Study
          • Email marketing - no, not SPAM
          • Affiliate marketing - because we all need friends
          • WebPR and ORM - blah blah blah conversations
          • Case Study
          • Viral marketing - linkerbation is a normal, natural thing. Perfectly natural.
          • Online advertising - throwing a banner into the works
          • Conversion optimisation. Are you closing the deal?
          • Case Study