Bill of Rights for Internet Marketing Clients

1. You have the right to have your contract obligations fulfilled by your internet markting company. Be sure all services that were contracted are provided. If you don't understand what you will be getting, get written and verbal explanations.
   
   
2. You have the right to know what the internet marketing company will be doing with (and to) your website. Nothing is "proprietary." You could do all the things your internet marketing company does for you if you have the time to commit to it and the skill to make the changes necessary.
   
   
3. You have the right to know what the internet marketing company is doing for you outside of the website. There is more to it than tweaking the site - ask for an explanation if you don't know what else the company is doing for you.
   
   
4. You have the right to ethical internet marketing. Your site should not be penalized, relegated to the dredges or removed from a search engine due to the tactics of an unethical practice.
   
   
5. You have the right to question the results of the internet marketing program. If you don't see results, ask why. Communicating and working with your internet marketing company produces the best results, stay in touch. Remember, you are hiring an expert - follow their advice for best results.
   
   
6. You have the right to a second opinion. Before contracting services you should ask comparable companies about their suggested plan and cost. Go with the company you think will provide the best service for the money.
   
   
7. You have the right to buy out of your contract. If you don't want the services any further you have the right to pay the remainder of your contract and move on without consequences.
   
   
8. You have the right to own all the work performed for you. Internet marketing is not pay per click - you are paying for a service to be provided and any changes or improvements to the website to acheive those goals belongs to you.
   
   
9. You have the right to see improvements in traffic, sales and conversions. If you aren't seeing improvement (despite following all the advice and implementing necessary / suggested changes) then you are not getting your money's worth. Ask your internet marketing company to show you how your online marketing is improving
   
   
10. You have the right to quality work for the money. If it doesn't work - don't pay for it!
    

Repeat After Me . . .

"I promise I will never, ever put out any kind of advertising that does not include my web address . . ."

"I promise I will carefully review every print ad, radio commercial, television advertisement and look for the web address . . ."

"I promise to add my web address to every company vehicle, outdoor sign, flyer, pamphlet and brochure my company uses . . ."

"And should I fail to remember these promises I will endure the lashing of my internet marketing pro who was really trying to look out for my best interests when he / she made me take this vow."

Thank you!

Your Web Strategist!

(This blog prompted by and dedicated to the two clients who both had ads in the same newspaper on the same page and neither had the web address)

Google Billboards

One of the sites I like to monitor is Adrants. Here you can find some of the most curious and interesting advertising efforts globally. But today I found something that will really transform the way the web is used... billboards.

Yes we all know about billboards littering the highways as we traverse from one place to another but here's the new twist. Google is looking at letting people advertise on billboards much the way you purchase Adwords - over the computer. Take a look at this article.

One of my first thoughts is where are these billboards going? Is Google going to purchase billboards from national companies and transform them into web interfaced advertising tools?

What do you think? Is this something you would invest in? Would you spend ad dollars via Google to put up a local billboard presence?

Citizen Marketer

Recently MarketingProfs.com has started an online book club. Just like a traditional book club, this club selects a book, reads, reviews and discusses the book all in online discussion books.

Anyway, the book we are reading now is Citizen Marketer (Ben McConnell / Jackie Huba). What is a citizen marketer? It's you! You have the ability to spark a flame that will be carried around the virtual world - creating a "buzz." A simple post, like this, on any discussion board or blog has the potential to attract worldwide attention.

Examples: HackingNetflix.com and iLounge.com. Started by just one individual, not affiliated with either Netflix or Apple, each of these sites now has a very large following and has garnered the respect of Netflix and Apple - these companies are listening to the citizen marketers.

Think of it in terms of customer evangelism - pure, unpaid, unsolicited customer evangelism. What is that kind of publicity worth to your business?

The best way to generate citizen marketing is to be one... give people a reason to get to know you, your business etc. Give people a reason to talk but beware - citizen marketing can also be generated in a negetive way! (Think "If I Did It" by O J Simpson - the people pulled the plug on that one quick!)

Happy New Year

It's time to start fresh with a new approach to marketing. Last year I read books called "Emotional Branding" and "Naked Conversations." What will the trend be this year? Will blogs continue to grow in popularity?

The internet has grown so fast - as of October 2005 there were over 100 million websites online. With web 2.0 it's going to be interesting to see what the internet will be capable of in the next 12 months. Will the web continue to be an extension of other marketing efforts or will the web become the number one way to market?

It's a great time to take stock of your marketing plan and get on the right track. Remember - if it doesn't make money, don't do it!

Good Luck in the New Year!