Workshop: Marketing on the Internet

When: October, 28, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: SCORE Atlanta, 233 Peachtree Street, Ste. 1900
Registration & Price: Online at tinyurl.com/cydufq or
call, 404 331 0121

"There are so many opportunities to market on the Internet and most small-business owners never know where to begin,” Matt Gardner says. He is a founder and owner of Roswell-based Yepser Internet Strategy and helps small-business owners reduce their advertising budgets, increase sales and learn how to utilize the Internet to maximize their profit. And during the current economic downturn, this is information you must have to make it through these difficult times and thrive as consumers come back into the marketplace.

Gardner will be the facilitator for “Marketing on the Internet,” a high-impact workshop presented by SCORE Atlanta, a resource partner to the U.S. Small Business Administration. The nonprofit offers free business advice, long-term mentoring and inexpensive workshops for start-up and existing small-businesses. Gardner and SCORE Atlanta have web sites at Yepser.com and scoreatlanta.com.

Gardner says that his clients learn how to create, “a focused strategy on marketing on the Internet. (We) are happy to provide this information to those attending the SCORE seminar on October 28.”

All small businesses are not alike. Consequently, Internet strategies will differ depending upon your budget, technical skills and target customers. Thus you will be given opportunities to ask the questions that pertain to your particular circumstances.

But in some ways, your Internet marketing plan closely resembles your low-tech approach to branding your business, creating credibility and making sales. For example, it begins with market research and ends with an impeccable execution. In between, you must acquire the tools to bring it all together. That is what this workshop is about ─ learning the Internet skills you need for success in today's economy.

You will learn about the elements of web page design and how to get prospective customers to click on your site. More specifically, you need to know the rudiments of search engine optimization and whether to outsource SEO or do it internally. SEO is what gets your company’s site displayed high up on the first page in search engines like Google and Yahoo.

Additionally, you will learn how to keep prospects interested enough to stay at your site long enough to buy your product or service. To find out more about designing your web site and get tips you can use, download a free booklet published by INC magazine and distributed by SCORE, called “How to Really Market on the Internet,” score-suncoast.org/Publications/How_to_Really_Market_on_the_Internet.pdf.

Did you know that many prospects are lost in the checkout process? In other words, they are willing and able to buy from you but they change their minds after putting your products in the shopping cart. Sometimes, it is because of the method of payment. Other times potential customers object to finding out about the shipment charges too late in the process. Or it can be their inability to get questions answered promptly.

So be sure to ask Gardner at the workshop what you can do to prevent these scenarios from happening. Moreover, ask him if blogging for business is right for you.

In addition to asking the workshop leader critical questions, you will have an opportunity to learn from other workshop attendees who have challenges that are similar to yours. In some instances, you may meet potential customers.

Do not miss this important workshop. Your future is at stake.