Any small business owner in a B2B or B2C market has struggled with the decision - should you outsource your internet marketing to a full-service marketing firm, or should you bring employees in-house for your marketing team? First you need to define your marketing goals - are you building a long-term brand or just bringing a new product or service to market? Do you have sufficient capital to support a marketing team? Your budget for advertising (ie, Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing) should be taken into account when considering your marketing budget - for online companies this is the largest single cost.

If you just want to get your name out there and you have a clear exit strategy within the next one to three years, I would strongly recommend that you look into outsourcing your internet marketing - a full-service internet marketing company will focus on SEO (search engine optimization), PPC (Pay Per Click management), affiliate marketing, email marketing and link building. Depending on your budget you may want to consider which one or two of these services is most important to you - most full-service firms have a strength in one or two areas.

When you hire a new employee, don’t forget to project the cost of training them and retaining them. After you have spent a considerable amount of money training a new employee, you have to take into account the fact that they are more valuable to other employers and there is a good chance that they are going to leave unless you are willing to pay them a premium.

All concerns aside, I personally recommend that any company interested in a long-term business that requires a significant amount of marketing hire an in-house team. Another alternative is to hire a coordinator in-house that can work with third party vendors and make sure they are doing their job. Remember that PPC is like a sprint (you can hit the ground running with a PPC campaign), but SEO is more like a marathon - it is good to have a loyal employee constantly working with the third-party to ensure that your brand’s “flavor” is consistent in all different mediums.

Preston Wily is an in-house marketing for a computer hardware company. He also does consulting for small business owners through Vizad, a full-service marketing company.

Elective medical procedures including cosmetic surgery and aesthetic/dermatological services present a unique opportunity to healthcare providers interested in marketing their services. Few insurance companies reimburse for these procedures and consequently patients are usually required to pay out-of-pocket. This shift in payment process changes the market for elective procedures in a number of ways as the patient:

* - Can now choose any healthcare provider they desire
* - Is more likely to comparison shop to find the best/cheapest provider
* - May travel significant distances to visit their preferred provider

As a result of these changes, the market size for elective procedures is effectively much larger than that for insurance-reimbursed services as patients can be sourced from outside of the provider’s local geographic area. For example, skilled cosmetic surgeons are highly sought after by patients in high-socioeconomic populations and these patients are willing and able to travel significant distances in order to visit a top surgeon. The large, potentially international, population for these types of elective procedures makes for a highly competitive market - one that also happens to be ideally suited to online advertising.

When people think of online advertising they typically think of banner advertisements, however new marketing strategies such as search engine optimization and contextual advertising are currently providing better returns and, if applied intelligently, can be far more effective at generating new patients and increasing business for a healthcare practice.

Very briefly, search engine optimization is marketing strategy based on targeting existing search engine traffic for terms relating to specific medical procedures. Something of a “black art” - search engine optimization (SEO) is difficult to implement effectively and results can vary greatly between providers of SEO services, however the rewards are considerable.

Example: A prominent dermatologist recently contracted my firm to provide online marketing for her Los Angeles and Santa Monica dermatology practices. Los Angeles is widely recognized as a destination locale for aesthetic/cosmetic procedures and this physician saw an opportunity to increase business by targeting both local and national/international markets via online advertising and search engine optimization. As of the date of this article, her site is ranked #1 on Google and MSN for “Los Angeles dermatologist” and she is seeing a 40% increase in office appointments, all made directly through her website.

In this article I’ve focused mostly on cosmetic/aesthetic services, however almost any type of medical procedure where the patient is granted some freedom in their choice of provider can benefit from online advertising. Other applicable areas include complex procedures relating to oncology or cardiology services. As more and more patients go online to research their healthcare options, online advertising will continue to grow as an important part of any effective healthcare advertising campaign.

Marshall Clark is Founder and Principal Consultant of FirstRanked Healthcare (http://www.firstranked.com) - a privately owned healthcare marketing agency specializing in search engine marketing strategies for pharmaceutical, medical device, and medical provider markets.

Tons of books, courses and coaching programs are offered today online on the concept of how to make money online. The problem is that you can read for ages and yet not have an idea of how to build a profitable home business.

If you’ve read any amount of e-books, bought courses, or attended teleseminars on the theme of building a successful Internet business, you must have noticed that there’s a hole that almost nobody seems to fill. There’s one point that even the “big guys” can’t tell you, or they’re simply ignorant an unwilling to disclose to you.

BUT, HEY, WHAT AM I REALLY GOOD AT?

This point is that in order to build a really successful business online, you got to make a plan first and determine what your business will focus on. You have to choose something than you really like to do, an then find out if there’s a market, thus how many people are actively looking for products an services in that niche, and how big the competition is in that field.

One of the biggest problems that I’ve seen most people breaking their heads on is the question: but what am I good at? What business is right for me?

Well, I can safely tell you that this is a almost a dead end. Almost nobody will help you out with this problem. This is the point where they leave you on your own. Try it: ask any guru: so, what do you suggest, what business is good for me? Most of the time, they won’t know what to answer on this question.

And it’s not their fault. Let’s face it: nobody really knows what you’re good at, nobody has an idea of what you like to do, what is your hobby, your knowledge, experience. Those are the things that you know best.

THE SECRET THAT DID’NT TELL YOU

But there are some ideas that can help you brainstorm and help you decide what is a good idea of a successful online business for you. I call it the “process of elimination,” thus think of what you’re definitely not good at. Better yet, take 3 separate sheets of papers, name them like this:

There are a lot of myths about internet marketing.

However, this is not one of them.

There is one mistake that if you get wrong, will shatter your dreams of success.

There is one thing online that you must do, no matter what.

Can you guess what it is?

The one thing you must do above all else with internet marketing is pick the right market.

Sound obvious?

But really, I am serious. Getting into the wrong market is like pushing a boulder up a hill. Compared with rolling one down a hill if you get it right.

There are really tough markets. And there are easy markets.

So what is an easy market?

This is one where they have an intense need for your product, and have showed in the past the willingness and ability to buy similar things to that which you want to sell.

Many people start out with a fantasy product in mind that they love the concept of. If they love it, everybody else should, right?

Wrong. It rarely works out like that unfortunately.

Research of markets is what you must do, to find these obsessed people who can afford to buy, and have proven they do buy, in the past.

Past behavior usually predicts future actions.

So where can you find these easy markets?

Look at the magazine racks. What you should know is, magazines are expensive to manufacture. If a magazine is being sold, whether it is about scented soap, or yoga, there is a definite demand there.

Markets where people are buying the magazine.

Look for the amount of magazines being sold on the topic. Ten magazines shown is a bigger market than two or three. Which generally suggests more people are involved with it. This can also likely mean more competition, however. Which generally can be good. This is an indication that people are spending money, if many magazine publishers are going after a particular subject.

Now look inside them. See what advertisements are running. The more advertisements is highly suggestive there are many people ready and willing to spend money on the products being advertised. Also look at the size of the advertisements. If there are many large ones, as opposed to small ones, more money generally, is being spent.

This is crucial to your success in finding a hot market to go after.

Going through this process makes your success with internet marketing much easier. Using internet marketing skills to sell is much less problematic when you have a legion of hungry buyers.

Now get out there right now and find them.

Copyright Gary Martin 2006 All Rights Reserved

Gary Martin, an expert in Internet Marketing, shares a wealth of information on his website
www.multiplewebincomestreams.com“>www.multiplewebincomestreams.com. If you want to learn how to make money online and pick up free resources visit www.multiplewebincomestreams.com“>this site today

The second dot com boom is well underway, with thousands of individuals and industries flocking to the Internet to start web sites that will promote their business or that they envision as a business in itself. The fact is that many Internet marketing opportunities operate along the same lines as businesses in the real world, and many investors are making several mistakes when it comes to their hopes of creating a web based business. These mistakes will often depend on if the business is concerned with providing customers access to their product through the Internet or if the individual is merely wanting to drive traffic to their site. In both cases, there are several mistakes that need to be avoided.

Individuals who begin on the web with visions of dollars in their heads need to remember that in order to be successful they will need to establish repeat visitors. Many individuals are currently absolutely gung-ho about the concept of search engine optimization. It is true that all individuals on the Internet visit a search engine sooner or later in order to find a specific topic. It is also true that most Internet companies are well aware of this marketing concept, with the result that many of the big search engines are beginning to have links to other search pages, which does nothing to help the customer in their quest for information or ideas except lead them deeper into a labyrinth. Additionally, focus on keywords or phrases will often result in articles that are impossible and boring for the individual to read, and customers will become so frustrated that they will not come back. Article posted on an individual website should be informative and fun to read, not exchanging keyword density for interest.

Many aspiring Internet Marketers also suffer from information overload, and begin trying too many things at once, with the idea that something is likely to stick. The truth is, there are lots of people doing Internet marketing, and it is far better to spend energy on one task, and master that task before moving on to other ideas. Building one hundred bad websites won’t have the long term value of building one good one. Don’t spend all your time trying the latest new marketing gimmick. Instead, focus on solid business fundamentals, and building a brand identity that will keep customers coming back for more. The successful Internet marketers are those that realize success depends upon winning the marathon, not on winning a short sprint. Nearly all of the get-rich-quick schemes end up costing more than they earn, or, at best, end up generating only a short term cash flow.

Websites should always be appealing and updated, but this does not mean that you need to overload the capacity of your potential customer’s connection. Avoid cluttering your website with unnecessary graphics that not only detract from your services but also mean that it takes more time for your page to upload. The key to success on the Internet is speed and convenience, and if your customer is waiting for your page to upload for a long time, they will not be back.

Jeff Jackson is an Internet Entrepreneur, and maintains a website offering free advice on website businesses from home.

The Internet is connecting advertisers and marketers to customers from Boston to Bali. If you’re thinking about advertising on the Internet, remember that many of the same rules that apply to other forms of advertising apply to electronic marketing.

The Federal Trade Commission Act allows the FTC to act in the interest of all consumers to prevent deceptive and unfair acts or practices. The FTC has determined that a representation, omission or practice is deceptive if it is likely to:

1. Mislead consumers and

2. Affect consumers’ behavior or decisions about the product or service.

In addition, an act or practice is unfair if the injury it causes is:

1. Substantial

2. Not outweighed by other benefits and

3. Not reasonably avoidable.

The FTC prohibits unfair or deceptive advertising in any medium. That is, advertising must tell the truth and not mislead consumers. A claim can be misleading if relevant information is left out or if the claim implies something that’s not true. For example, a lease advertisement for an automobile that promotes “$0 Down” may be misleading if significant and undisclosed charges are due at lease signing.

In addition, claims must be substantiated, especially when they concern health, safety, or performance. The type of evidence may depend on the product, the claims, and what experts believe necessary. If your ad specifies a certain level of support for a claim - “tests show X” - you must have at least that level of support.

Other points to consider:

Disclaimers and disclosures must be clear and conspicuous. That is, consumers must be able to notice, read or hear, and understand the information. Still, a disclaimer or disclosure alone usually is not enough to remedy a false or deceptive claim.

Testimonials and endorsements must reflect the typical experiences of consumers, unless the ad clearly and conspicuously states otherwise. A statement that not all consumers will get the same results is not enough to qualify a claim. Testimonials and endorsements can’t be used to make a claim that the advertiser itself cannot substantiate.

If your ad uses phrases like “satisfaction guaranteed” or “money-back guarantee,” you must be willing to give full refunds for any reason. You also must tell the consumer the terms of the offer.

Non-Compliance

If you fail to follow these rules, you run the risk of being prosecuted by the FTC. Successful prosecutions typically result in injunctions against your site and damages awarded in the amount of $11,000 PER VIOLATION.

Richard Chapo is the lead attorney for the law firm http://www.SanDiegoBusinessLawFirm.com - a firm providing legal advice to California businesses. This article is for general education purposes and does not address every facet of the subject matter. Nothing in this article creates an attorney-client relationship.

Business alliances are valuable bridges that can be used to reach new customer audiences. These alliances are typically like-minded businesses that serve the same audience demographic but offer separate, complimentary non-competing services or products.

A business, recognizing the importance of nurturing existing client relationships, typically develops a firm foundation of client trust. These clients need other services. With a business referral network, not only does your business benefit from the added exposure offered through this network, but your clients benefit as you are providing an important service to them as well.

By giving your customers access to preferred vendors who may offer value added discount incentives, you are saving your clients time and money, and what could be more valuable to them than that?

Certain professions in particular have a responsibility to recommend other professionals to their clients. A dentist, for example, even the best dentist, doesn’t make it a practice to perform oral surgery, that’s reserved for the oral surgeon. So it makes perfect sense that the dentist would recommend a qualified oral surgeon to his or her patient when the need arises. Similarly, a general practitioner wouldn’t think of performing brain surgery or offer cancer treatment to his valued patients.

Many doctors refer other specialized doctors based upon the needs of their patients and this is an extremely common and necessary practice in the medical field.

But the medical field is not the only industry that benefits from developing proactive B2B referral relationships. Some other businesses that benefit from this type of synergistic relationship may include:

a realtor offering a recommendation to a mortgage broker

a website designer referring a website hosting company

a restaurant referring a florist’s valentine promotion

a home builder recommending a landscaper

a plastic surgeon suggesting a cosmetic dentist

a hotel wedding coordinator referring a DJ or musician

a financial planner recommending an insurance agent

Your recommendation to a trusted alliance business partner is greatly appreciated by your customers. Most everyone appreciates even the smallest comfort level offered through a referral, especially when searching for important service providers. Letting your fingers do the walking through miles and miles of advertisers in the yellow pages is a scary proposition when you need a new home loan or a plumber to fix a serious leak.

When considering an important decision like who to call for medical care, home repair, personal services etc…choosing a service provider from an advertisement is really no better than a crap shoot. At least a referral, even one that comes from a 2nd or 3rd tier source, is better than no recommendation at all.

There are two major benefits associated with referring pre-qualified associate partners

1. You offer a service to your valued customers by helping supply a need

2. You get more business as your partners reciprocate the favor and recommend you to their customers.

The latter is called cross promoting. Cross-promotional strategies allow your business to have access to a warm market that could never be reached any other way.

Email offers a simple, cost effective way to facilitate the process of referring and getting referred. Not only does email make it easier to introduce your clients to your referral partners and vice versa, but with the right tools you can also measure and track the success.

This referral growth success is realized through your own customer base as well as the customer base offered through your alliance business partners. By piggybacking on mutually beneficial business relationships, your exposure increases while your ad spend decreases. The more referrals you get, the less you have to advertise.

Aligning yourself with synergistic qualified business professionals is a win-win scenario, not only for you and your referral partners, but for your valued customers as well.

Diana D’Itri is the Exec VP of Ravebiz, a leading referral marketing and technology company. She’s a key driving force behind educating clients on how to generate more quality referred customers through practical applications and an automated, web based system called the Rave APG eReferral.

For a free download “31 tips for boosting referral business”

go to http://www.ravebiz.com Diana can be reached at (866) 284-3020 or email her at diana@ravebiz.com.

Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for a few ads. What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing. Too many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by copying their competitors with “me too” advertising. And the media and advertising agencies love it. When you approach an advertising agency, their mission will be to convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them, not to help you devise a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing options, not just advertising.

When developing a marketing strategy for your business, you must consider a number of aspects of your marketplace, before even thinking of your business. You need to answer the following questions:

=> Who are your competitors?

=> Who are your customers?

=> Can you segment your marketplace?

=> How do your customers make a buying decision?

=> Who else has customers who could be your customers?

Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business. At this point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions:

=> What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my customers?

=> Why should people buy from me?

=> What is my offer? (Product / Service / Price / Support / Guarantee etc.)

=> How do I define My Marketplace? (Who / What / Where / When and How)

And only once you have answered these questions, ask the one that most businesses ask first rather than last:

=> How will I promote my business?

When answering this question, consider all the promotional options, not just advertising. Some of the marketing options available to you are:
Networking, newsletters, cold calls, special offers, public relations, referrals, joint ventures, trade shows, seminars, workshops, website, sponsorship, media advertising, yellow pages, direct mail and brochures.

All of these methods are, in one form or another, lead generation strategies. You are buying customers, and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified lead. And that’s how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar. When you approach an advertising agency, you must already know how much want to spend on that marketing channel. While they may give you good advice on how to spend your money in their channel, they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your business. It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating qualified leads at a reasonable price. For example, if your product is upmarket, generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you. And there is also false economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all!

Whichever marketing channel you choose, it is absolutely essential you measure the results from each promotion. Over a period of time, you will learn which ones work best for you. However, this can be a lengthy experience. Using a marketing consultant can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve, and can save you many thousands of dollars in your marketing costs, and even more importantly, in the opportunity cost of lost time.

Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions

Dr Greg Chapman assists small to medium sized businesses with business planning, business systems and marketing strategy. To find out how you can Multiply Your Profits & Make Your Business Run without You, and to find out How Good Your Business Really Is with a Free Online Business Medical, go to Empower Business Solutions website at:
http://www.empowersolutions.com.au