Relationship Marketing | Build Your Online Business

If you were to ask most marketers or online business owners what is the first step they’d recommend in starting on online business, most would likely say that you need to determine your market  and decide on a niche.

That is an important element in starting your online business, but there are two elements that are critical to your online business success.

1.  MINDSET: Starting an online business can be done on a shoestring budget and you do need at the very least a simple plan.  However, it’s important to keep in mind that:

• An online business is no less a business than starting one offline.
• You must know your “Why” for starting your business and determine what your goals will be
• Do research online in your area of expertise to see what is already being offered and what is missing.  This will help you Read the rest of this entry →

Recently I was talking with a small business owner about become more visible online and we got to the topic of having a blog.  I got a negative reaction and wasn’t sure why, so I asked searching questions.   The reasons for the negative response became clear very quickly.  The business owner's concept of blogs was that blogs could not have any beneficial effect on her business since blogs are just logs or updates of what people do on a daily basis.

There are people who use blogs for that purpose, but large companies are now using blogs to reach their market and build an audience, gain online visibility, and promote their business.  This in itself should make anyone who underestimates the value of having a business blog stop and think.  If large companies are taking advantage of the benefits of having a blog, how much more can this benefit small business owners?

Here are five important reasons why blogging can enhance your business and should be part of your internet marketing strategies:

1.  Google and the other search engines love blogs.  Unlike static websites, blogs are updated frequently so that when Read the rest of this entry →

I’ve always been fascinated by the Atlantic salmon’s inherent ability to swim upstream, and as I thought about the complexities involved in achieving online business success, I realized that there are lessons we can learn from the Atlantic Salmon.

What are some of these lessons we can take away and apply to ourselves in our online business?

1.  Fact: The Atlantic salmon spawns in fresh water but spends much of it’s life in the salty waters of the ocean.

Lesson: As business owners we have to be adaptable.  We may start small and wade into shallow waters, but as we grow we may make decisions Read the rest of this entry →