#1 The internet is not an afterthought…developing an effective web presence should top your list of marketing activities because it can provide a serious return on investment. Your prospects discover, validate and discuss products and services through blogs, discussion boards, web sites, mailing lists and online communities.

#2 Be aware of your virtual first impression…you never get a second chance to make a good impression. Your prospects are likely to form their first impression about you and your work on their first visit to your web site or when they research how your business ranks on an internet browser. Evaluate your own virtual first impression by typing your name into a search engine. See how you and your business look to potential clients, from the moment your name appears in a web browser to the moment your site loads. If you can’t be found easily or there is scant evidence of your company in your industry, your site looks out-of-date, or has broken links and errors, you run the risk of losing out to a savvier competitor.

#3 Practice online thought leadership…position your business as a source of information that helps potential clients make informed “buying” decisions. This is versus biased self-promotion. Use your web site like a virtual brochure that cultivates your reputation as an online resource with fresh content that can include articles, white papers, reports, blog posts, and even teleseminars that communicate your authentic commitment to your target market.

#4 Reach prospects regardless of their readiness to buy…potential clients may come across your web site months, maybe even years, before they need your services. Expand your time horizon of what constitutes promotion: the selling process starts when someone looks you up on the web, when they see your name in an e-mail newsletter, or see postings on blogs that might reference you or your work. Potential clients file away useful material for future reference, so devise imaginative ways to keep in touch with them. We are all subject to info overload, but prospects will remember your business if you make the effort to communicate.

Adapted from the Get Slightly Famous (www.getslightlyfamous.com ) newsletter by Steven Van Yoder (©2006).

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