... You will not make a single thin dime unless people can FIND you. And that requires marketing.

Build It, and They Will Come ... ?

Nope. On the Internet, you can build it and never get a single visitor (other than your family and friends!).

There are millions upon millions of websites online, and the simple reality is that unless you SHOW people how to find your business, you'll be lost in the crowd.

But that doesn't mean you should go out and randomly tell anyone you can find about your business. Two of the biggest marketing mistakes include:

• Sending out untargeted advertising. For example, purchasing 10 million email addresses and bulk- mailing your offer would be untargeted advertising. Many people try this, hoping that the sheer number of ads will result in a few sales.

• Trying to be everything to everyone. Your product will not appeal to everyone, nor should you attempt to make it sound like it will. Focus on making your target audience happy instead.

The key is to get your offer in front of as many of the right people as possible. That means advertising to your target market with persuasive sales copy that tells them exactly how your product will solve their problems or satisfy their desires.

The fact of the matter is, no product will "sell itself". That's what you're for!

What's Marketing?

Marketing is the lifeblood of your business; it plays a huge role in determining whether or not you succeed online.

Marketing isn't just one thing; it's a bunch of different methods you continuously test, experiment with, and revise as needed in order to increase your sales.

It's a combination of online advertising, offline advertising (remember that most people still spend most of their days in the real world!), effective sales copy, customer follow-ups, and much more.

Although it will take time to see the results of your marketing efforts, one thing's for sure: consistent marketing is absolutely vital to producing a solid online income. You want to ...

• Make sure your target market knows what you have to offer;
• Persuade them to buy;
• Follow-up and keep them as satisfied customers - better yet, *happy* customers!
• Sell future products to both new customers and your existing customers;
• Earn a profit!

Can Beginners Learn How to Market?

Sure!

You don't have to have a marketing degree or a special education. Some people are blessed with a natural talent for copywriting and are excellent at all aspects of marketing.

Others aren't but learn to do it anyways.

I'm a prime example of someone without natural marketing talent. ;-) You see, I'm actually an engineer by profession. That means I spent most of my days cloistered in a lab or in front of a computer. It was my job to be meticulous, detailed, logical, and analytical. I didn't write sales copy; I wrote "documents". I didn't market or promote; I "designed" and "implemented". As an engineer, I didn't focus on benefits or emotional appeals; I focused on "product features".

Believe me when I say that engineering and marketing are at opposite ends of the spectrum! Marketing definitely doesn't come naturally to me. But I've been successful online, and every day I learn something new.

And it's not just me. People from all walks of life are making money on the web. You don't have to be highly educated or a "trained" business person. You just have to have the motivation and a willingness to learn.

Learning how to market effectively is an ongoing challenge. You'll never know everything, and you'll never be "finished" with your promotion efforts.

The good news is that pretty much anyone - beginners included! - can learn how to market online. It's definitely not an overnight process and you'll need a good dose of determination ...

... But once you start to see the RESULTS you'll be thrilled!

Marketing With a Limited Budget

As a beginner, you may be worried about how much it's going to cost you to promote your business. Obviously it's much easier if you have lots of money to invest ... however, the beauty of the Internet is that you *don't* have to spend much at all in order to make money.

That isn't to say that you'll be able to do EVERYTHING for free ... but you'll be able to do a great deal on a limited budget.

Take a look at the recent "Dot-Bombs" - online companies that are now out of business. Funded by venture capitalists, with loads of money at their fingertips, some of them made unwise decisions about marketing. An example? Buying 30-second commercials during the Super Bowl, for absolutely ridiculous sums of money! Yet all that money obviously could not guarantee their profitability.

Now look around at the multitude of tiny home businesses all over the 'net. They have equally tiny advertising budgets, yet they turn a profit each and every month. I'd venture to say that they're far more successful than many of the big Internet companies.

There are dozens of innovative ways to get traffic for free or for just a few pennies per prospect. In fact, my own online business was bringing in thousands in profit before I spent my first few dollars on paid advertising!

So don't let the thought of operating on a shoestring budget give you high blood pressure. :-) It IS possible to make money online without emptying your wallet. And that's what we'll focus on here.

Here's to your success!

Angela Wu is a full-time, work-at-home online business owner. Her articles appear in numerous ezines, ebooks, and on websites. Angela's passion is helping eBusiness beginners understand the realities of doing business online - so that hopefully they too can experience the pleasures of working from home! Angela's websites include OnlineBusinessBasics.com and BuildYourHomeBiz.com.

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