If you're starting your own business, you'll want to develop a good web marketing strategy in order to give your business an online presence. Through effective online advertising and affiliate marketing, your business can attract large numbers of potential clients. Web site design then plays the next important part in capturing visitors' attention and convincing them to patronize your business. If you are trying to create a web presence to attract as many customers as possible, these steps will help you develop a strong web marketing strategy.

Budget

There will be 3 main expenses for web marketing:

1. website setup
2. website maintenance
3. advertising

Website setup should be a one-time charge and may range from a few hundred to upwards of a thousand dollars, depending on what you want done with the website. Advertising and website maintenance will most likely be monthly charges, though some forms of advertising may be pay-per-click when potential customers are referred (see step 4). Once specific sums are allotted for each category, you can move forward with a budget already prepared.

Advertisements

Part of marketing any item or service is making that item or service desirable. You can start by making a list of all the reasons your product is worth a customer's money. Emphasize what your product can do for the customer and always be descriptive. For example, if you are selling cookies, you might write something along the lines of "Brighten up your day with a delicious chocolate-covered treat" rather than "These cookies are made of x, y and z." The first description suggests that a customer's life will be made better by the product, and is therefore more enticing than a flat description of ingredients.

Web Design

Unless you have a working knowledge of website coding, you will likely need to hire someone to create and maintain your website. You can find web design companies or opt for a freelance designer. Check portfolios before hiring a designer to make sure he or she is stylistically compatible with the image you want. A well designed website should be user-friendly and easy to navigate; in general, the simpler the better. A good web designer can also optimize your website so it appears on search engines.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a type of advertising where you advertise on other websites and pay the hosts of those websites a certain amount for every visitor which clicks on the advertisement. For example, you could have Google run a sponsored ad at the top or side of the page whenever anyone searches for certain keywords. For every click on the sponsored ad, you pay Google a predetermined amount.

Further Marketing

If you are selling products, don't just confine yourself to your website. Popular sites such as EBay or Etsy allow users to list products which then appear in their internal search engines. This can help you make more sales and drive more traffic to your main website.

If you are starting your own business, it's important to be noticeable on the internet. These marketing steps will help you capture attention and sell your products as widely as possible.