So how do you get them to come back? Here's a pop quiz for you, choose the best answer (it's a no-brainer):
a) offering so much valuable information, they bookmark your site and return on their own;
b) building so much trust and familiarity that, when they think of widgets, or of asking for an opinion, or for buying anything widget-like, they think of you (that's called branding your name);
c) promoting your website so much that, when they think of widgets, they automatically think of your website (that's also branding, the name of your site in this case)
d) have a mailing list they can subscribe to (this might be the online equivalent of a guest book in a store) and receive updates on information on your website;
e) have contests on your site;
f) endorse other people's sites and products, with an appropriate byline including your own url;
g) give away things;
h) hang out in places online that your potential visitors frequent (forums, bulletin boards, chat rooms, conferences, seminars) and make friends, give away free information and helpful links and tools, include your url in your signature where allowed;
i) blogging and using RSS feeds to keep people thinking of you and your widgets;
j) being a part of the search engine revolution and exploring the world of tagging, or social bookmarks (creating your own search engine with other like-minded anarchists :)
k) all of the above.
Each of these concept, infrastructure, and promotion ideas could be an article in its own right; but this is your basic outline for building your online business. The ultimate power of the internet is to level the playing field for both major corporations, little ol' you, and everyone in between. A business that fully utilizes the internet can throw away the purchased leads list, because cold calling and cold emailing is a thing of the past. Using the internet to its fullest business potential means putting your message where your potential customers can find it, and letting them come emailing, looking and calling for you.
Be sure to take advantage of the unique power of the internet, and keep the "internet" in your internet marketing
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