By Katrina Manning

One thing that surprises many novice Internet marketers is the fact that people don’t really mind being sold to. What truly matters is how you do it. In the end, you must allow people to sell themselves. This isn’t about control, it’s about gently leading people down the path you want them to take. Only the very skilled know how to do this in a way that ensures the prospect believes it was their decision the entire time.

Plus, if you have a product that your target market does not like–no amount of selling will work. On the other hand, find something they want and selling is much easier. According to BuildNicheLinks, hard sell tactics just feel desperate. Your goal is to build a continual relationship not a one-time sale. Instead, Internet marketing should be about building relationships with people. You must find out what they want, then provide it to them. That way, they want to buy from you over and over again.

How Internet marketing developed such a bad reputation

Internet marketing can be a scary proposition for many business owners since there are no formal education requirements to participate. Not having a standardized industry protocol is part of the reason Internet marketing has a bad reputation. The best Internet marketers will take the time to engage with their clients and offer a transparent reporting process.

Plus, flexibility is required to try varying options and avenues for marketing success. Internet marketers must be realistic in their assertions, then, put in the work to fulfill their claims. If your Internet marketing plan sounds too good to be true, it probably is. When you know that 82 percent of customers research online before making a purchase, it shows that having an appealing online presence is more important than ever. Your online visibility is the first thing people see. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

Create your unique selling proposition

To have a competitive advantage in your industry, it is critical to have a unique selling proposition. What sets you apart from your competitors? This is a specific promise you make to your customers, that your competitors are not promising. Think of when Domino’s Pizza first guaranteed pizza delivery in 30 minutes or it was free. Sales skyrocketed. It set them apart, but also made their competitors take notice.

Pizza lovers didn’t want to wait for fresh and hot pizza. Domino’s took note and made that their unique selling proposition. It wasn’t hard to sell since this is what people wanted anyway. Domino’s didn’t have to use desperate selling tactics to get more customers. Their unique selling proposition brought attracted new and loyal customers in droves. If something is easy, people will take it. Think of it this way: people are overwhelmed with data. There is a palpable information overload. What the modern consumer wants is ease and convenience. Amazon recognizes this. Look at their Prime Now service.

You can order anything from groceries to electronics and have it delivered within two hours of ordering. That is speed and service at its finest. Craving ice cream and also need cat food? No problem, and there’s no need to drive to the grocery store. Amazon Prime Now will deliver it to you in two hours. Got sick unexpectedly and need medication? Again, you can have it delivered in two hours or less. Speed is how you can position your company against any other in your space.

Optimize your conversions

One of the largest goals for an Internet marketing campaign is to increase conversions. This can be getting more people to sign-up for your newsletter or to make an initial purchase. It can also be getting information from your prospects such as filling out a form and sharing their e-mail addresses. The only way to increase your conversion rate is by offering benefits such as discounts or insider previews for sharing their information. It also helps to understand why Google doesn’t like your website.

Re-market

One of the easiest forms of Internet marketing is re-marketing. This is when a prospect looks at one of your products or services, then leaves to browse another site. Yet, they may see your ad pop up on other sites. It’s a reminder of what they have recently looked at. Re-marketing works because it targets prospects who have already shown initial interest. Perhaps they don’t have the budget yet or are in the research process. Nonetheless, you don’t want them to forget about your product and service. As the saying goes: out of sight, out of mind.

Internet marketing is here to stay. As a result, it helps to ensure you understand how it works.

About the author
Katrina Manning is a published author and content marketing writer. Over the past eight years, she has written thousands of articles in the business, tech and lifestyle genres. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, experimenting with new recipes, travelling and looking at Instagram pics.