• I know how to get a blank stare from just about any e-commerce web site owner. All I have to do is ask them about their web site marketing plan!When I ask them about their web site marketing plan, I get that look. First the eyebrows go up. Then the eyes glaze over for a minute. And then the stammering begins.

• “Uh, well, you know – I have my URL on my business card.”

• “I, ah, I’m going to start an e-mail newsletter.”

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  Some of them may even mention something about “search engines.”

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  But practically no one has a plan! And you know how the old saying goes: “Failure to plan is a plan to fail.”

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  Most small business owners I talk to are frustrated. They think their web site is a big waste of money. An “online business card.” A “marketing expense” that doesn’t return any of its investment.

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  And no wonder:

  You’ve spent thousands on a pretty web design. You shell out dough each and every month for web site hosting. You may even be paying a webmaster to update the web site regularly. And month after month, year after year, the sales barely trickle in.

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  Marketing your web site is frustrating. It’s confusing! So we end up doing what all of us do when we’re frustrated and confused: deal with it “later.” And later never comes.

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  Know what? It’s not your fault! No one ever taught you how to market on the Internet, this new medium. (They sure didn’t cover that in my marketing class when I was in school.) And there’s all that hype on the Internet – so called web marketing gurus who’ve made millions online. But guess what? The only thing they’ve ever sold is reports and e-books on – what else – “how to market on the Internet.” They’ve never packed and shipped a box or ran down the street after the UPS guy.

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  But what if there was a formula you could follow, a step-by-step guide to creating an online sales machine?

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  After 10 years of marketing and selling on the web, I’ve boiled it down to a winning eight-step formula. This formula works for any web business, for any product from amber gemstone jewelry to zebra-print home accessories. In a nutshell, the eight no-fail steps of this formula areDefine Your Goals: With no clearly defined purpose, your web site can’t succeed. Be specific with each goal, adding both an amount and a timeframe.

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• Take a Snapshot: How’s your web site performing now? Know your traffic stats and your “three magic numbers.”
• Define Your Market: Who are you talking to? Be specific about who your products are for, and where these customers exist.
• Get Them There: Build targeted web traffic by getting your target audience’s attention and creating an ongoing dialog.
• Turn Site Visitors into Customers: Once you’ve gotten them to your web site, make sure you seal the deal before they leave. Know what they’re looking for, and what information they need to make a purchasing decision. Give it to them, then ask for the sale.
• Increase Their Spending: Would you like some fries with that hamburger? Since they’ve got their wallet open, ask for the add-on or upsell.
• Get Them Back: It’s cheaper to get an old customer to buy again than it is to recruit a new one. Make the experience memorable, and make the next one convenient.
• Get Their Friends: A happy customer can be your best sales tool. Empower them to spread the word about your products and web site.
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When you work each of these steps, your e-commerce marketing can’t fail.