Making Best Use of the Internet: How to Manage an Online Business ...

- By Laura Mauney

Running a successful business on the Internet, or simply integrating the Internet into a traditional business strategy, requires the same rigor, attention to detail, regular maintenance and financial sensibility as running any brick and mortar operation.

Additionally, businesses now face new opportunities via the Internet?s fastest growing medium, mobile technology.

HOW TO MAINTAIN A STRONG WEB PRESENCE:
Brand comprehensively across all the top search portals and social media sites; Deploy multi-channel, integrated advertising strategies; Make sure the company website exploits the correct technical SEO tactics in the HTML so that search engines can find the site; Make sure the company website incorporates the correct CSS code and view port meta tags in the head section of each webpage so the site will display correctly on tablets and smartphones; Stay tech savvy and very current with ever-changing web standards; Monitor outcomes and tweak strategies for optimization and ROI improvement; Manage expectations realistically.
WARNING: The most critical NON-action is to fall prey to the ?get rich quick,? ?going viral,? ?huge IPO? mythology that misleads many business owners into thinking they have failed on the internet when in reality no such thing has happened.

The big time success of dominant internet players like Facebook, Google, Bing, and Yahoo, and the massive internet popularity of politicians and celebrities like President Obama, Lady Gaga, and kittens, etal, though fabulous for the parties involved, ranks with winning the lottery in the real world of online success.

In other words, runaway online success doesn?t happen to every enterprise. Most Internet success is built the same way as good old-fashioned brick and mortar success, through diligent work, quality offerings, and sound business management.

The Internet Offers Three Primary Uses for Businesses:

1. Online advertising and information about a brick and mortar establishment;
2. Online lead generation and/or sales via an electronic catalog and shopping cart;
3. A combination of brick and mortar advertising and online sales.

Either way, at a minimum, every business should have:

If TV advertising is part of a company?s marketing strategy, post online versions of the same ads via YouTube and other top video channels.

Companies that possess original images or set up promos for products, or that plan to proactively publish articles and promotions on the web, can establish even more far-reaching presence via other popular social media and blog channels, like Tumblr, Pinterest, and Twitter.

With social media and microblog pages especially, ongoing updates (once a day or every few days is best practice) will keep followers mindful of the business. Product promos and special offers should be posted more frequently to capture the widest possible audience.

HOW TO USE THE INTERNET TO GROW A BUSINESS:

Run websites like newspapers, keeping information up to date on a regular basis. Don?t make people call for information. Post everything possible on the site. Consumers are more likely to move on to competitor sites when they don?t find what they want. Describe products and services clearly, in a well organized fashion. Post pricing for products or services. Post insurance affiliations for medical facilities. For a brick and mortar office or store, post the address, phone, and business hours in the header and footer of every page. If a phone number is posted, make sure voicemail answering is set up to take calls or deliver information both during and after business hours.

?That?s all for now? Coming soon: The Basics of Website Setup, How to Go Viral by Degrees, How to Apply Classic Marketing Logistics on the Web, and The Importance of Integrated Search Engine Marketing.

Source: http://laurastheory.com/natterings/2013/05/20/making-best-use-of-the-internet-how-to-manage-an-online-business-presence/

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