$25,000,000 a Year through Internet Marketing?

Justin Seibert, The State Journal (WV)
December 24, 2006

Editor's Note: My favorite author alive today!
-- Justin Seibert

I met with one business owner in the construction industry last week to show him the opportunities internet marketing offered for his company. At the end of our meeting, he admitted, “I never even knew [advertising this way] existed.”

Many companies are in the same boat, not knowing exactly how the internet can help or whether advertising on it can be profitable for their business.

Other companies, however, are already aware of the potential benefits. US advertisers currently spend $16 billion per year on internet ads. Numbers that large might lead you to assume that only the largest Fortune 500 companies have a chance to attract new customers.

In fact the opposite is true. The internet’s search engines level the playing field, allowing small- and mid-sized businesses – even ones without a company Web site – to display ads right next to the big boys.

Then, just like choosing kickball teams on the playground, the persons sorting through the ads choose the one they think will help them buy the right product or service.

The best part is that you don’t give these search engines a dime for showing your ad. You only have to pay when an interested potential client clicks on it.

The 200 million Americans already using the internet like search engines because they can find what they’re looking for by simply typing a few words into the computer. You’ve heard the names of the biggest engines: Google and Yahoo.

When someone visits these search engines and types in what you sell, does your business come up? If not, you’re missing out hundreds, thousands, or even million of dollars.

If you think this sounds far-fetched, think again. One mid-sized private financial company in California who wishes to remain anonymous uses search engine advertising successfully enough to bring in more than $25,000,000 a year in sales.

The best part is that internet marketing can work for your company whether you could write a check for $25,000,000 without your accountant noticing or if your company’s been around for 40 years and still hasn’t seen its first million in sales.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to get that kind of return from all your advertising? That would be like only having to pay when someone hears your ad on the radio, sees it on tv, or reads it in the paper and then calls you or visits your Web site to learn more!

Further, internet marketing works whether you sell products retail or to businesses on a local, regional, national, or international basis.

To get started, you first need to decide whether you want to do internet marketing yourself or hire a professional firm. To decide, ask yourself the following questions: Do you feel comfortable handling internet marketing yourself and do you have enough time? Are you selling only locally? Are your sales under, say, $25,000 per month?

If you answered yes to all the above questions, you ought to try setting up your own accounts with the search engines. Go to adwords.google.com or listing.local.yahoo.com and they’ll explain what you need to know to get started. At Google, you can list coupons even without having a Web site.

If you’re a larger company selling to people outside of your hometown, you should consider a professional internet marketing company as you are likely to face more competition online. Some firms may allow you to pay based on ad performance so you won’t have to commit a lot of money up front.

Often traditional advertising agencies don’t have the expertise to help you get the most sales out of your investment. Therefore you should look for a firm that specializes solely in online marketing.

A good internet marketing firm will have successful experience working with search engines and will handle all aspects of your advertising. That includes selecting search terms, writing ad copy, designing Web pages that get viewers to request to be contacted, and testing results.

When talking with an internet marketing firm, ask them about their experience, if they can point to monetary successes for their clients, whether they handle all aspects of your campaigns, and whether you can work on a pay per performance basis to see if internet marketing – and that particular company – are right for you.

Whether you choose to go it alone or get professional help, start marketing on the internet today…before you miss out on the next $25,000,000.

Justin Seibert is owner and president of Direct Online Marketing (www.DirectOM.com), a West Virginia-based Internet marketing company that specializes in increasing leads, clients and sales for businesses. He can be reached at (304) 905-8008 or by email at justin@directom.com.

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