marketing

How much should I be spending on advertising?  Advertising is an important expenditure for any retailer. Yet the field is always changing, which requires you to explore and consider new avenues of delivering your message to keep the image associated with your store fresh and to attract the best customers to your store. The good news is that with changing advertising media, some of these new ways to advertise actually require less manual labor and are extremely cost-effective.

When looking to create a Web site, employ a strategy from start to finish—the site should reflect your brand. 

If you work with a consultant or purchase your domain and set up your site using a template, make sure it represents you well. The site should first and foremost be a source of information for visitors to find out about your products and direct them to the store. 

This is also your opportunity to build a customer database. Be sure to set up a “contact us” area where you can ask for customer information—first name, last name and e-mail address—so you can build a list for future communications. 

The opportunity to better understand technology can help grow your business. You can build your Web presence, step-by-step, with some tips from our industry experts, Bobby Boyles, Jen Lowe and Kurt Witt.

There’s no getting around it—Internet marketing is essential to building your business. But how do you attract customers to visit your site—and revisit it? Here are some tips to get your online presence up to speed.

Danny Rocks explains why this is a great time to build, refine or establish a new Web presence.  It's simply just not enough to build a Web site and wait for customers to find you.  You must develop your Web presence by engaging your customers on your Web site.  Show that you share their interests and invite them to return time and again. 

The world has changed.  And, thanks to the Internet, the shift of power means that the customer is in charge.  Use this to your advantage when building your Web presence.

Do you blog, read blogs, or want to create a new blog?  It's easier than you think.  Watch as Danny Rocks shares his story about using blogs as the building blocks of his business.

Some stumbling blocks you might encounter when trying to add content to your Web site are: determining the type of content, where to find it and how often should you add new content.  In this clip, Danny Rocks sheds some light on tricks of the trade to help you figure out the process that works best for you.  Also, find out the number one reason why content and the way you manage it can help improve your ranking on search engines.

Identify which social media Web sites you should be a part of by investigating which ones are most popular with your current and potential customers.  Use your time more effectively by strategically selecting which sites to join.