Introduction
Not long ago, the Internet came along and changed everything. Or at least it changed the way a lot of things get done, including how consumers look for and find local businesses.
With the rise of the Internet as the primary way consumers connect with local businesses, a huge number of tools and techniques have emerged for local businesses to better capture those consumers and turn them into customers. Not only do these businesses seem to have done so almost overnight, but the smartest companies and Web consultants have already tried them, refined them, and came up with new ones. In other words, the Internet marketing tool kit is big, and getting a whole lot bigger every day.
Understandably, this whole Internet phenomenon can seem pretty complex, even intimidating, to local business owners who’ve relied for years on traditional advertising channels and methods. In reality, all the Web does is greatly accelerate the speed that traditional marketing concepts can now be applied and responded to by eager customers and prospects.
In Local Online Advertising For Dummies, we look at how local businesses can put online marketing to profitable use. We break down the subject into manageable, understandable chunks. By reading this book, you’ll become comfortable with the big picture of the online marketing process and with how each of its parts contributes to the whole. Most important, you’ll be ready to put many of those elements to work for your own business — and to be happily surprised by the results they bring you.
About This Book
You don’t have to read this book from front to back. Rather, think of it as a sort of library from which you can extract and examine only the pieces that interest you. You’ll find that (for the most part) the discussions in each chapter — and in each section within each chapter — are self-contained.
Of course, we wouldn’t mind at all if you did read everything in order. Local online advertising is one of those subjects that has a natural build to it, so going with the logical flow isn’t a bad idea. But, hey — it’s your book now, and you can read it however you want.
In any case, this book isn’t a textbook; it’s a reference, or a guide. This book’s purpose is to give you a basic introduction to local online advertising, from which you can then go on to more sophisticated sources, if necessary.
Conventions Used in This Book
We use a few conventions throughout this book to make things easier for you:
We use italics for emphasis and to set off a particular term that we define.
We use a computerese font to highlight Web addresses (or URLs), such as www.dummies.com.
Also, 99.99 percent of what we talk about in the book applies to both PC and Mac users. The very few references made to Microsoft applications aren’t exclusionary; Mac users can use versions of the same applications.
What You Don’t Have to Read
Here and there throughout this book, you see sidebars — text boxes that are separate from the regular content and feature a gray background. Sidebars include information that’s related to the content in the chapter but is also independent of it. The bottom line is that you don’t have to read them, and your understanding of the chapter’s subject matter won’t suffer if you don’t. Then again, if you do read them, you may discover something new. We leave the choice up to you.
Another thing you can safely skip without worrying about it is the occasional paragraphs with a Technical Stuff icon beside them. Big surprise, this is stuff for tech-minded readers. The geekier you are, the more likely you’ll value these pieces. The geekier you aren’t, the less likely you’ll care. And that’s just fine.
Foolish Assumptions
In writing a book like this, it’s difficult to know how broad and deep each reader’s existing knowledge is. We figure it’s pretty safe to assume that you know the rudiments of computer use and that you’ve had some experience with the Internet, which also means you’re probably familiar with search engines. Beyond those givens, this book assumes that you’re more or less a novice when it comes to local online advertising.
Of far greater importance, however, is our assumption that as the owner of a business, you’re nobody’s fool. Sure, online marketing may be a new concept, but we’re sure you have the fundamentals of business down cold. You know your market. You know your products and services inside and out. You know what kind of customers you sell to and what kinds of prospects you hope to turn into customers. And you understand profit and loss, competition, and the importance of investing your assets wisely. On all those scores, you’re an expert. So we don’t define universal business terms you already know.
How This Book Is Organized
We organized the chapters in this book into five parts. Each chapter is broken into sections, which are broken into sub-sections, and even into sub-sub-sections.
We compiled this book that way so that you can, with very little effort, get as much (or as little) information you need at any particular moment. Zip, zop, and you’re there. If only the rest of life was so easy.
The following sections briefly describe what the five parts in this book cover.
Part I: Getting Started with Local Online Advertising
This part gives you an overall picture of local online advertising: Why it’s become such a major tool for local businesses to generate more new and repeat customers, the evolution of search engines as they relate to local businesses, and the kind of pre-planning that the online space requires to be used successfully.
Part II: Setting the Foundation for Local Online Advertising Success
Here you discover the importance of building a quality Web site for your business, including whether you should handle this task or get outside help. We also explore the concept of landing pages, the range of interactive tools available, and the factors that go into analyzing the results of your online marketing efforts.
Part III: Doing the Advertising Part of Local Online Advertising
This is really the nuts and bolts of the book. We look, in some detail, at search engine advertising and the elements of a successful e-mail campaign. You also find out how to employ techniques, such as advertising in banner ads, directories, and sponsorships. We also discuss the uses of social media (such as Facebook) and how public relations can help drive traffic to your Web site.
Part IV: Keeping Your Customers Coming Back
Winning over prospects and turning them into paying customers is no easy task. After you do it, how do you make them repeat customers? We answer that question by examining several ways to keep your business at the top of customers’ minds and to reward them for their loyalty. We conclude with a discussion of database marketing — that is, how to use the customer data you collect to sharpen your online marketing campaigns.
Part V: The Part of Tens
If you’ve read through other parts of the book before coming to the Part of Tens, you’ll have been exposed to a lot of information. In this part, we provide you with lists of ten do’s and don’ts. This part makes for a handy resource that you can refer to quickly whenever the need arises.
Icons Used in This Book
At times in the course of this book, we separate certain points to broaden your understanding of a particular subject by placing an icon next to that paragraph.
Where to Go from Here
You’re ready to use this book, and the Table of Contents or index is the best place to start. Find the section or topic that interests you and jump right to that page. Or just turn the page and start with Chapter 1. We leave the decision up to you. Either way, we hope you enjoy — and profit by — what you find in this book.