Hi There, Part 8 - Crossing the ONLINE / OFFLINE Marketing divide.

Hi There, Part - 8 Crossing the ONLINE / OFFLINE Marketing divide. The last few years has seen a division appear in nearly all discussions about successful Marketing: It's the distinction between ONLINE and OFFLINE Marketing. Online covers everything internet based (website marketing, pay per click, SEO, Email Marketing etc) Offline covers all the 'traditional' marketing methods (direct mail, telephone marketing, traditional advertising, etc.) It's an easy and often useful distinction to make between offline and online - and I do it as much as anyone. But in case it's not obvious, let me point out that we shouldn't really think of offline and online as separate when it comes to the never ending task of acquiring new customers. The truth is that even the most successful internet companies have discovered that their online efforts become far more profitable when combined with an 'offline' strategy. That's why the best 'internet' companies are using Direct Mail to mail their existing customers. It's why the big online brands are returning to 'traditional' newspaper, magazine and radio advertising. It's why many websites no longer try to sell stuff online, instead preferring to use their sites to make compelling free offers to potential customers, in return for those customers' contact details. Your initial contact with such a business may be on their website. But the follow up, where the sale actually happens, could be on the phone or as a result of a mail insert. What does all this mean for you? It means that you want to continually work on your online strategy but ALWAYS BE LOOKING AT HOW YOU CAN SUPPLEMENT YOUR ONLINE MARKETING WITH OFFLINE MARKETING. Some examples include: 1. When people buy from you online, put them into a sequence of communications for future sales that include direct mail and if feasible, phone calls. 2. If you use your website to capture email addresses (and you certainly should be) test what happens to the response rate if you also ask for a physical address and phone number. You'll normally see a decrease in response but those who do respond tend to be much better 'leads.' 3. Don't depend on just online marketing to deliver people to your website. Use offline too, particularly your newspaper and magazine ads and Direct Mail. 4. Use your website to do everything possible to encourage people to contact you offline, particularly by having your telephone number EVERYWHERE on the site. In the years ahead, the division between online and offline will blur. Smart Marketers are blurring those divisions now, on a daily basic Tomorrow lets talk about a way of immediately increasing your sales at absolutely no cost! Best Wishes, Graham Callingwood Author of "Make my website work!" The Top Page Guru www.toppageguru.com To unsubscribe please Press Here This is a B2B communication. If you have received this in error please accept our apologies and press the above button to be removed.