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Jump Start Sales With A Complete Marketing Plan
When you decide to start an online business, or when you decide to add another product to your existing business, there are certain questions you must answer.
These questions help you define the marketing plan for your product. Each is essential to answer in order to make your marketing plan complete. Without a complete plan, you'll stifle your own potential for sales and growth.
With that in mind, here is a quick guide that will help you to both understand and remember to address each area as you develop your new business or product line.
WHO WILL BUY YOUR PRODUCT?
Before proceeding any further, you must define your market. What group or groups of people does your product appeal to? What do you know about those people? What will trigger them to purchase your product?
WHERE CAN YOU REACH YOUR MARKET?
After you research who it is your product appeals to, you should have a fairly good idea of how to reach them. What sites do they spend time at? What ezines do they read? What key words do they search for?
WHAT IS YOUR USP?
USP stands for Unique Selling Position. In other words, what makes your product, or the presentation of your product, different from your competitors? How can you stand out in the crowd? What will make people want to buy products from you as opposed to others?
WHAT IS YOUR FOLLOW UP PLAN?
After you get people to first visit your site or buy your product, how do you plan to follow up with them? What will make them want to look at your site again in the future? How can you establish repeat contact with them? What incentives do you offer to make people want to return?
HOW WILL YOU PROMOTE?
Which methods of advertising do you plan on using? Which will most effectively reach the areas where your target market is likely to be? Will you use a combination of advertising methods? Can you coordinate multiple methods and if so, how? How will your advertising tie into your USP and your follow up plans?
HOW WILL YOU HANDLE PURCHASES?
What payment processors will you set up? What forms of payment will you accept? How will your product be delivered? Is your delivery process protected against thieves? How will you guarantee delivery? Or handle delivery problems? Do you have a support structure set up to handle problems? Refunds? Complaints?
Taking the time to review this list for each product or service you sell will be beneficial. Each of the categories mentioned is part of your overall marketing plan. Failure to address each area is asking for trouble.
Many times home business owners restrict their own sales capability by simply not appearing to be as professional as people would like. Professional businesses address each of the previously asked questions for each of the products or services they sell. Do you?
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© 2004 MarketingLifestyle.com. Marketing Lifestyle Newsletter is dedicated to showing you how to earn an Internet Income through traffic, resources, and up-to-date articles. To subscribe, visit: http://marketinglifestyle.com
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You are welcome to publish this article in your newsletter or on your website, provided that it is reproduced in its entirety and with the above resource box intact.
