Internet Marketing Course BLOG

Internet Marketing Course Blog
Dave Ingalls
September 27, 2009

We’ve all heard the hype about online Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. And much of the hype is true. But if you’re a small/medium sized company selling your products and/or services online, take my advice about online social media, social marketing, social networking – whatever you want to call it – and start with the basics – let your Customers review your products/services on your Web site.

I don’t know who started online Customer Reviews on their Web site – I’m guessing it was Amazon – at least that’s where I first encountered it when buying books many years ago. Those reviews saved me money and time by helping me find the RIGHT book to buy, and when I purchased the right book, EVERYBODY won! I ended up buying the best, most on-target book for my needs, the author of that book got the sale, and Amazon not only got a sale, they also got a happy Customer (me) who came back again and again for more purchases because I could get many honest opinions of a potential purchase BEFORE I bought it.

And here’s my latest example of why I think online Customer Reviews are the KEY online social media application:

Over the past Summer I was trying to decide what Smart Phone product and wireless plan I would purchase. It was definitely time for me to move on from the “flip phone” era!

Several acquaintances had just purchased the new Apple iPhone 3G and loved it! To get additional Customer opinions, I went to the BestBuy Web site and looked up iPhone 3G phones and plans, then read the Customer reviews (at that time there were well over 100 reviews). The vast majority were very positive about both the iPhone 3G and the 2 year AT&T plan typically purchased with the phone. Because there were so few negative comments, I decided to read them and see what problems iPhone owners had with their purchase. And here’s the first instance where online Customer Reviews helped me with this purchase!

» Continue reading “Customer Reviews Help iPhone Purchase – The REAL Social Media Phenomenon!”

Marketing Apple – 5 Secrets of the World’s Best Marketing Machine
Steve Chazin
June 28, 2009

Dave’s Comments (Internet Marketing Course Blog): I recently came across this free ebook by Steve Chazin. Steve worked at Apple for a decade at a critical time in Apple’s history. His ebook “spills the beans” on how Apple resurrected itself. These 5 “secrets” are not specific to Internet Marketing, but I’m sure you’ll be able to use them to help your online marketing efforts. Plus I’m a sucker for lists, especially when they’re numbered, short and right on the money! And this list fits all 3 criteria! I also dug up the FIRST iPod commercial (below) so you can check it out before reading the 5 secrets and see if Apple followed their own advice – enjoy!

From Steve’s intro: “These secrets are super condensed learnings from my nearly decade-long tenure at Apple about how and why people spring to action. Since that time, I’ve uncovered many ways that can enable any company to tap into people’s innate desire to share their passion for products and help create “lift” – the irresistible force of millions of customers selling your product for you. Just as Apple has harnessed this power more than any company in history now you can too. So even though these really aren’t Apple’s secrets these just may be even better. Here are my proven ideas to help you market like Apple and improve your business and your reputation at the same time.”

Read the free ebook online by clicking on the following link:

Marketing Apple – 5 Key Secrets

P.S. If you like to see what Steve’s been up to recently, visit DimDim.com

Technorati Tags:Business, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Web Marketing

Link to My Internet Marketing Course

Link to My Internet Marketing Consultant Info

By Tim Parry
Multichannel Merchant
June 11, 2008

Dave’s Comments (Internet Marketing Course Blog): With increasing frequency, online retailers are realizing what Amazon realized (and also invented and implemented) a number of years ago – Amazon gave potential Customers the means to view opinions of existing Customers for a specific product, and since these are the “voices” most trusted by potential Customers, giving them access to this information actually increased sales overall! This short article builds on that idea with several suggestions on how to best implement “Customer Reviews” on your eCommerce Web site.

“Looking to upgrade your e-commerce site to Web 2.0? Even if you think you are behind the curve, Dave Friedman, president of the central region for Avenue A | Razorfish, says you may still need to understand what the buzz is all about.

Speaking Tuesday at Internet Retailer’s Conference and Expo, Friedman reminded the audience that Web 2.0 is more than just a new technology. Rather, Web 2.0 is the “combination of technology and design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and most notably, collaboration among users,” Friedman said, showing a slide of the Web 2.0 entry on Wikipedia.

“Because it’s technology-enabled, Web 2.0 gives users a much broader community in which they interact,” Friedman said. “People with similar interests, literally around the world, can share product experiences, brand experiences, and experiences with different retailers.”

And the stats show why Web 2.0 is important. Nielsen recently released a study that showed 78% of consumers were most influenced by word of mouth when making a buying decision. A Luxury Institute survey showed that 84% of consumers who make more than $150,000 a year use ratings and review sites to find out about products prior to purchase.

But just because you bring Web 2.0 into your e-commerce mix doesn’t mean you can sit back and bask in the success. Friedman listed four things every retailer needs to effectively harness Web 2.0.”

Read the entire article by clicking on this link:

Four Ways to Harness Web 2.0

Technorati Tags:Business, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Web Marketing

Link to: Internet Marketing Course

eMarketer
June 5, 2008

Dave’s Comments (Internet Marketing Course Blog): Quite detailed report with demographics in very interesting age segments (7 segments, 15-17 all the way up to 65+ plus a “Totals” column) and communications types. Worth a look!

“Text and instant messaging are fine for friends, but not for marketers.

That was the main finding of ExactTarget’s “2008 Channel Preference Survey.”

Nearly two-thirds of US Internet users surveyed said e-mail was their preferred channel for written communications between friends, with text messaging the next-favorite choice. The phone was the most popular way to communicate with friends overall, with 41% of respondents naming it as their channel of choice.

“There is a clear trend within younger demographics toward communication via text messaging and social networks,” said Morgan Stewart, director of research and strategy at ExactTarget, in a statement.

But Mr. Stewart said those preferred personal communication channels were not necessarily also preferred channels for marketing.”

Read the entire article at:

Consumers Want Your Email

Technorati Tags:Business, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Web Marketing

Link to: Internet Marketing Course

BUY.COM PUTS INTERNET SELLING POWER IN THE HANDS OF CONSUMERS WITH NEW GARAGE SALE™ SERVICE
Buy.com Press Release
August 7, 2007

Dave’s Comments (Internet Marketing Course Blog): Keep your eyes on this one, boys and girls! The core take-away of this press release is that now Facebook members can sell their stuff to other Facebook members (usually family, friends, and friends of friends) from their Facebook profile pages WITHOUT having to use another service like eBay. Thanks to Buy.com, this service is now available to ALL Facebook members and will soon be offered to other online social networks. Why is this announcement important? Because who would you rather buy something from (read: “who do you trust more?!”) – a stranger on eBay or its equivalent, a cold impersonal online store, or your best friend’s brother?! I think this change in online commerce is going to be big!

“Buy.com, the Internet Superstore™, today unveiled its new Garage Sale™ service that enables consumers to sell goods directly on their business and social networking pages.

For the first time ever, goods can be bought directly on the profile page, and purchasers never have to leave the page to complete the purchase transaction. With Garage Sale, consumers no longer need to pay listing charges associated with online auction sites, and they can take advantage of significantly lower individual transaction fees.

The Garage Sale capability is currently available to Facebook users, and Buy.com plans to roll out the service to users on other online social networks shortly. Facebook users simply add the Garage Sale feature from Facebook’s application suite and upload product information and photos to begin selling on their personal profile pages using Garage Sale’s secure transaction capability.”

Here’s a link to the press release on Buy.com:

BUY.COM PUTS INTERNET SELLING POWER IN THE HANDS OF CONSUMERS WITH NEW GARAGE SALE™ SERVICE

Technorati Tags:Business, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Web Marketing