5 marketing strategies to get traditional business customers online

"Are you looking for innovative marketing strategies and ideas to get existing customers online to grow your business and make more money?"

There are great marketing advantages for any business that is able to market to their customers via email, newsletters, or interact with them via the Internet.

This article will highlight 5 innovative and creative marketing strategies that you can use to take existing customers and turn them into a loyal and engaged online fan base, that will help to grow your business and generate more revenue online.

Advantages of getting traditional customers online

The main advantages of being able to interact and engage with customers online are:

• customers can access information more readily
• provide additional support (think: forums, Q&A, expertise, etc)
• extended reach - both in terms of time and geography
• opportunity to market new deals, discounts, products and services
• sell direct to customers
• grow reputation and visibility via social media

There are actually plenty of compelling reasons that businesses should make every effort to engage with customers outside of their traditional business domain, in addition to the ones listed here.

Don't lose out by not capitalizing on your traditional customer base to grow an online customer base.

5 marketing strategies to take customers online

eCommerce and the Internet is growing rapidly. Traditional businesses need to take advantage of evolving online shopping trends.

More and more people are turning to their PC, Mac, or mobile device to find the products and services that they want to purchase.

Since online retail is open 24/7, your existing customer base risks being slowly eroded by competitors who offer a great online shopping experience.

If you haven't already got a great eCommerce, mobile eCommerce (m-commerce), website or blog up and running, read the following articles show you the quickest, easiest and most cost-effective ways to build an online store, blog or website (note that it is far easier and cheaper to set up a great online store or website now than it was just a few years ago):

• The 3 best shopping carts for mobile eCommerce (m-commerce)
• Which small business Web platform has the best SEO?
• How to build a website
• How to start a blog with WordPress

1. Offer additional customer support online

One of the best ways to get traditional customers signed up to your website or blog is to offer them online support and access to information about their products and services.

Not only is this a great way to get people online, it also:

1. saves you time and effort providing face-to-face support
2. creates a better customer experience

By giving customers easy online access to information they would otherwise have to call, or come down to the store for, you make life easier for both parties.

2. Integrate the Web into existing products and services

Why not split the value offering of a purchase into an online and offline component? In other words, make sure that there is a valuable online component to every product purchased via your store.