Does this sound like you?

"Marketing is something that I never pursued much, and I realize now that I need some help marketing my small business. I don't have much money to spend - my business is SMALL, and there's not usually much cash flow. Anyone have any suggestions that won't break the bank? The business is an on line business, mostly word-of-mouth. I am looking for ideas, or recommendations, or just ways to get the word out."


As a small business owner, I've been in this place myself. Now that I've had the time to reflect and  build a new business based on my learning here are 9 tips that will help you build your online business:

1. Don't compete on price.
2. You must provide value-add.
3. You need to focus on your customer.

Tactics:

1. Traffic:
   You need to generate traffic. In your case, SEO and a blog would be the starting places. Improve the description on your site. Let people know who the right customer for you is and why they should be your customer. Networking both online and off in craft related forums is next and the fastest way to build relationships. Commenting on other craft related blogs will also get you attention.
2. Capture names and build a list:
   You need to have a way to capture your customer’s name and build your list as soon as they come to you site. Give away something for free in exchange for their name. It can be anything from a product to a free report on jewelry making. Make it relevant to the customers you are targeting.
3. Communicate:
   Send out weekly tips via email and your social media connections. Give away your expertise. Build trust. Eventually ask for a sale.
4. Ask for the sale, and transact business.
   You may need to use some sales techniques such as special offers, bundles, time-limited offers, etc.
5. Build community and Upsell.
   Know what type of products your customer buys and offer them related products at the time of sale. Create upsells. Don’t inundate your customer with more and more offers. Give them your expertise and build the relationship. Deliver world-class customer service. Delight them.
6. Measure results.
   Measure what works and what doesn’t. Learn where your efforts are best spent and focus on those.

That’s it.

If you’d like to learn more about how to grow your online store sales, please join us for this FREE one time teleclass.  http://www.6figureonlinestore.com.

About the Author:

Debra Zimmer is, The Expert Marketing Coach, and publishes a free blog called "Best Free Marketing Tips". She has 25 years of marketing experience with 15 years of that in internet marketing. She is an experienced entrepreneur having conceived, funded and launched an online and storefront retailer and grew it to a mid-six-figure income. Having launched Internet Explorer for Microsoft, as well as growing online affinity programs with hundreds of thousands of members, she now mentors small business owners and entrepreneurs on how to automate their marketing to grow 6 and 7-figure businesses. She can be found at http://expertmarketingcoach.com.