Then along came internet. Being involved in advertising in mid 90's, it was obvious to me that potential was absolutely enormous. Mind boggling. It was difficult to demonstrate, though, as speeds were painfully slow. You'd try to show someone over a cup of coffee or tea, and you'd finish drink while second page was loading. Try coming back in 5 years. Well, they did. With a vengeance.

The internet itself came on in leaps and bounds after that. Technically it developed rapidly. Companies started to realise they "had" to have an internet presence. Why? Well, often because their competitor did, or because they thought they should before their competitor did. They were diving in, pretty much blind; they did not understand what they were getting into. The stock markets cottoned on that something big was in offing, so .com shares were being touted to ever higher levels. Shares of companies with no substance in most cases.

I used to trade shares on a daily basis in those days, and I never touched one internet related company. I cringed every time I saw financial figures of a listed .com. Prices of shares were often in stratosphere while turnover was meagre and profits non existent, then and into future. The traders in London Stock Exchange and Wall Street did not understand. The internet was new, there was no history to go on. They simply did not understand. They were excited, and were exciting others too. The buying was frantic. The crash inevitable.

Companies all over world were realising, though, that they must have a web presence. Companies had marketing departments and/or advertising agencies. So they too had to go along with the tidal wave of internet anticipation. What did they do? They followed accepted patterns for marketing in those days. TV advertising. Radio advertising. Big newspaper ads. The massive costs of those methods bore no relationship then to potential for additional income, for sales. They were throwing money down drain in most cases. Why? They simply did not understand!

The internet was, and is, a revolution in communications. But marketing industry had not had a revolution, it was too bogged down in rest of marketing mix to realise what was really going on here. The printing press was a revolution in communications, but it took many years to spread its influence. Radio was a revolution in communications; likewise. TV? Likewise.

The internet has been more like an explosion, and after an explosion it takes time for dust to settle. That's one of reasons for maze of internet marketing. The dust is still settling. You can't see through dust yet. More of a haze than a maze I suppose! No, a maze in a haze!

Use plenty of bulleted lists to highlight information at a glance, making sure to limit number of words used in each bullet. Regardless space available or font size used, each highlight should not exceed one line of text.

Paragraphed text such as sales copy or product descriptions should be kept simplistic, yet appealing to physical senses. How will your product or service enhance individual’s life? What are most common benefits of your version that existing clients do not recognize until after purchasing product or service?

Keep Your Prospects Focused

One of primary reasons prospective clients do not proceed with a purchase is their own inner dialogue. Typically, consumers will continually try to talk themselves out of a purchase, until absolutely certain it is best choice for their need. When positive elements of an opportunity outweigh negative feedback generated by inner dialogue, a purchase will result.

Therefore, it is important to keep your prospective clients focused on features, benefits and value of your company through effective site content. If you are serious about developing a business that will control a measurable amount of market share, your products or services will reflect Unique Selling Points (USP) upon which your entire sales strategy will be founded. Integrating your USP into all aspects of your web presence will help to build and maintain a cohesive, positive focus on your products or services.

Closing On-line Sale

A client isn’t a client until after a purchase is completed. Bringing your prospect to point of purchase isn’t enough; a smooth, effective closing process is required to maximize potential for on-line sales success.

An effective closing process must reassure prospective client’s decision to make a purchase before, during, and after a transaction. This can be achieved by:

* Offering visible customer support options throughout purchase * Employing a user-friendly shopping cart and multiple on-line payment methods * Clearly explaining each step of purchase process * Providing immediate transaction confirmation by e-mail, telephone, or your web site

Each step of sales process is an opportunity to develop trust between your company and a prospective client. Developing long-term relations remains best way to build a faithful, strong client base that will remain loyal to your business.

The infinite potential for your success is dependant only on satisfaction of your most recent client.