Secrets of online success ... Revealed!

Now that Y2K has come and gone without a bang if not a whimper, it is time to start rolling up those proverbial marketing sleeves and start creating traffic as well as sales. Last year, I've delivered a great deal of marketing expertise and resources to online businesses. And suffice it to say, with the thousands of emailed comments that I receive regularly I'm glad to see that many have successfully implemented my techniques and strategies.

However, among those comments I still receive a great number of emails with questions like: "How do I get more traffic," "how do I sell more," "how do make more money," etc. Unquestionably, with such an overabundance of emails I must remain general with my replies. Yet I still try to pass along some basic tips whenever I can. However, the responses that I receive remain pretty much the same, such as: "It's too simple," "it's too vague," "it's not for me (or my business)," "it's not specific enough" and so on.

While people want insider-like information to their inquiries, the problem that I encounter the most is the fact that many of these aspiring marketers ignore the most important marketing strategies out there: The basics. Too many of them search high and low for specific tactics to achieve online success -- and to achieve it as quickly as possible. Undeniably, achieving online success quicker is indeed possible. But the reality is that there are no real "secrets" to online success, no "get-rich-quick" solutions, no panacean "oases" ...

None. Zilch. Nodda.

They are oftentimes considered as "secrets" simply because most people tend to overlook that which usually stands right in front of them. In fact, these types of so-called insider secrets may seem inconspicuous because the fundamentals of online marketing are often considered too boring or too simple to be secrets. But in actuality they are of utmost importance. And like in all things, the basics need to be mastered before going any further -- otherwise, the rest will be in vain.

In other words, think of online marketing as a house. A house that is built on a foundation of rock will stand throughout the storms -- and online, storms are like cyclones. But should that foundation be absent or consisting of mere sand that house won't stand for long. As building a house starts with the foundation, successful online marketing starts with the basics. And in the year 2000, maybe it's time to strengthen some foundations.

There are many basics in successful web marketing. Agreeably, to cover them within the confines of this short article is virtually impossible. But let me give you my four, most important Internet marketing strategies of all. Make them yours. Make it your new year's resolution to apply them to your situation or business. If you do, you will make the year 2000 your best year ever. They are, in order: 1) Love, 2) focus, 3) target and 4) multiply.

1) Love

Love is the greatest marketing secret of all. Call it simple if you will or call it philosophical. But in my estimation (and particularly throughout my research), the most common thread I have found among the highly successful is the fact that they do what they love or love what they do. Little do people understand that turning your vocation into your vacation is an integral part of one's marketing portfolio. In short, my philosophy is this:

Do what you love and the business will follow -- pure and simple.

Love emanates positive vibes in many ways -- and often in ways of which you may have never thought. It will show in your website design. It will show in your promotional efforts. It will show in your content and marketing copy. It will show in your emails. It will show in your online partnerships and ventures. And the most significant one of all, it will show in your customer service -- the heart of repeat and referral sales. Your love will radiate in everything you do -- and ultimately generate business for you.

To paraphrase Confucius, if you do what you love you will never have to market a day in your life -- at least not as strenuously. People are attracted to others who radiate a genuine love for what they do. They naturally gravitate towards people who are excited about the products they sell. When you call someone on the phone for example, you can feel their smile. When someone looks at you from behind, you instinctively turn to look back. In the same way, if you do what you love or love what you do people will feel it in your marketing activities. And conversely of course, if you don't they will know that too.

2) Focus

On the Internet, we are constantly bombarded with information -- so much in fact that people are at a total loss when they go online. Some analysts have even reported that, over the holiday season, many people have failed to shop online not only because of their fears of security or privacy but also because of their confusion. We are simply overwhelmed -- it's the information revolution indeed! There is so much choice, information and competition on the web that everything just seems like one big blur of sameness.

Niche marketing on the other hand helps to simplify people's search for the kinds of products you offer. Narrowing your focus (such as specializing in a certain field, for example) will cause the search for your site to become vastly more efficient -- people will be looking for very specific kinds of information that only you offer. By being unique or focused, you become superior in the mind. Focus is going to become crucial (if it isn't already) to your online survival. The more focused you are the more traffic and sales you will in turn create.

Research (let alone just plain observation) shows that the marketplace is indeed becoming more and more fragmented. With the TV for example, the number of channels has skyrocketed to include numerous specialty channels -- from only 12 in the 70's to over 500 today (through digital TV technology). People simply have too many choices and many of them end up feeling lost as a result. As Al Ries once said in his book "Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on it," today's technology-driven marketplace mandates a sharper marketing aim. Likewise, your site should focus on and target a specific niche -- the more you do the more you will get.

3) Target

The next step is definitely to target your core audience -- to fish where the fish swim in other words. It makes no sense to promote your site or offer in front of people who are never going to be genuinely interested in it let alone qualified to buy your product or service. Therefore, before doing so you must define your perfect customer. Who is she? Where does she live? What kind of work does she do? What are her hobbies and interests? Where does she hang out? What websites does she visit? To what ezines is she subscribed?

Consequently, the next step is to go where she goes and then to take her by the hand. A process I call "directional marketing" (beyond direct marketing) is one in which, unlike institutional marketing, your efforts help to direct people in some way to take some kind of action -- be it to click on a link or to subscribe to an newsletter. But in the process, you build a strong brand identity as a natural byproduct. Branding is important in business. But online, direct marketing is essential. And targeted direct marketing is even more so, for otherwise it's like the case of the blind leading the blind.

The kind of information, marketing or content you provide must take visitors by the hand and lead them to take some kind of action. Your site should never be a mere silent billboard in cyberspace -- if it is, obviously you would be better off buying advertising on one of them. Your website is not only your store but also your staff. Turn it into an action-oriented tool by giving visitors something to do -- like joining a mailing list, subscribing to an ezine, enrolling in an online community, etc. And don't forget to ask them to do so. Remember the number one rule in sales, be it online or off: You must ask for the order!

4) Multiply

Creating targeted traffic is definitely one of the most important and perhaps difficult of marketing activities. But making your site "sticky" is surely the second, for repeat traffic is essential to continued success. One effective way is through the use of traffic generation tools -- while this refers to dynamic content and applications, it also includes your domain name. For example, does your domain name intrinsically reflect the benefit if not the nature of your site? Is it easy to pronounce and remember? Or does it use a long URL with acronyms, easily misspelled words, numbers or hyphens?

And getting people to know about you and visit your site again and again is the key to repeating your message -- and sometimes, that requires leverage. For example, traffic generators come in various forms -- discussion boards, chat rooms, greeting cards, polls, contests and so on. Some sites offer many free scripts and resources you can use, such as http://www.freecode.com, http://www.bravenet.com and http://mycomputer.com -- for example, my discussion forum is at IMC.

But the greatest leverage of all is that of other people's marketing efforts -- a process dubbed "viral marketing." You want to multiply your link all over the Internet through the help of other people without much effort on your part. This can be achieved in many ways. Look at Hotmail, for example. A link and an invitation to sign up for their free service is plastered at the end of each email sent through their system. You can do the same -- the simplest of ways is to offer a free report or downloadable ebook that can be distributed freely.

In the end, there are surely many other foundational marketing processes out there for you to learn and implement. I don't have all the answers, that's for certain. But the above four top my list -- master these and your foundation will be more solid. However, if you're still wondering at this point, "The title says that you will reveal the secrets of online success -- so, what are they?" The answer lies in the heart of your question … Go back to the basics.