| People say "you can easily sell anything on the | | | | people who are interested in what you have to sell. |
| Internet". If you take a look at eBay.com, you'll probably | | | | Another good reason is the equalizing factor of the |
| tend to agree. The stories of people selling a piece of | | | | Internet. Even if you're just running a small business |
| toast with an image of the Blessed Mary burnt on it, | | | | from a bedroom in your house, you can compete on |
| ice chips from the iceburg that sank the Titanic and | | | | even ground with large corporations. If your website is |
| potato chips resembling famous actors -- they're all | | | | designed well, you can be as impressive looking and |
| true. Hey, some people can sell anything when the right | | | | as technologically advanced (maybe even more - |
| customer comes along. | | | | there are a lot of major corporations with crummy |
| The truth is, if you want to sell a product on the | | | | looking websites out there). |
| Internet and be successful, you should be able to not | | | | If you're on the Internet, you're set to have instant |
| only sell the product, but also deliver the product on the | | | | contact with prospective and current customers. |
| Internet. Thus, information products are the best items | | | | Through the use of email and autoresponders, you can |
| to sell over the Internet. You can sell the other | | | | deliver product information around the world for little or |
| products I named above, as well as a myriad of | | | | no cost 24 hours a day. You can't do that on the |
| others, but it's tougher. Why? Because of the number | | | | phone or through the mail. |
| of people on the Internet, that's why. | | | | If you're on the Internet, you can greatly expand your |
| There are huge numbers of people on the Internet. | | | | market. If you're only marketing locally, you can use the |
| This can work against you because it makes it tough | | | | Internet to market nationally. If you're currently |
| to target your market. Just because there's 12,000,000 | | | | marketing nationally, you can step into the global |
| people out there doesn't mean that all 12,000,000 are | | | | market with the Internet. As long as you have a |
| interested in buying an antique chair from you. In fact, | | | | product or service that is useful to people, you can |
| maybe only ¼% would be interested. That's still | | | | expand your profit base. |
| a very respectable 30,000 people, and if you could sell | | | | Don't forget the publicity factor on the Internet. Having |
| 30,000 antique chairs, I'm sure you'd make a great deal | | | | a website for your business is still a status symbol, if |
| of money. However, you need to reach those 30,000 | | | | you will. Once you're online, put your email and website |
| people with your message. | | | | address on your business cards, your letterhead, your |
| In the "real world," it might be easy to reach people | | | | envelopes, everything. Also, send out press releases to |
| wanting an antique chair by advertising in | | | | your local press and any other publications applicable |
| antique-related publications. That's referred to as | | | | to your line of work, letting them know about your |
| targeted marketing. However, on the Internet, things | | | | website. It might be deemed newsworthy, and you'll |
| work in reverse. | | | | get some free publicity for your website. |
| In the real world, the antique publication is delivered TO | | | | Finally, if you are selling information products, you can |
| people. On the Internet, those people need to *seek | | | | deliver the product immediately to your customer and |
| you* out. Thus, if you want to market on the Internet, | | | | you'll have no printing expense, no shipping expense, |
| you'd better be willing to work the "publicity machine," | | | | nothing. That's a great profit margin. |
| with entries in online databases, advertising, press | | | | You need to go into the Internet with a clear head. |
| releases, etc. It's just like in the real world. Just because | | | | Forget those over inflated claims and numbers that the |
| you put a website on the Internet, you aren't | | | | hucksters are spouting. If it sounds like hype, and it |
| necessarily going to get rich overnight. | | | | smells like hype, it's hype, pure and simple. Very few |
| So, now that I've probably discouraged you, I'll again | | | | things have generated the amount of hype that the |
| ask the question that's posed in the first paragraph of | | | | Internet has, however, there are a lot of good, solid |
| this article: should you do business on the Internet? The | | | | reasons to have your business on the Internet. |
| answer is a resounding YES! There's bound to be | | | | |