Getting Started: Developing a Plan

Marketing on the Internet doesn’t consist of cookie-cutter strategies that work for everyone. For that reason, planning is an essential step in being successful online. Careful planning and monitoring will enable you to develop a strategy that fits your needs and budget, maps your progress, measures your return on investment (ROI), mitigates risk, and adapts as required.

When developing your plan, you’ll want to consider the following important aspects:

• Your buyers. Who are they? What activities do they do online? Identifying your audience and their needs enables you to determine how best you can reach them online, thereby getting the most for your marketing dollar.
• Your budget. How much should you spend and, more importantly, how much do you have to spend? The amount you budget towards Internet marketing will depend on how integral the Internet is to your business success. Prioritize your needs based on your budget, projecting into the future and growing your plan as your revenues grow.
• Your ability to support and maintain your plan. Consider only implementing strategies you can handle. It is possible to do more damage than good to your business if you implement techniques for which you do not have the business processes or budget in place to support.