Customer acquisition

Acquiring customers is the biggest challenge facing most businesses. How can the Internet help you?

Raising awareness

Internet advertising - the Internet is an advertising medium. This media comes in many forms (banners, rich media, search ads). It is growing fast at the expense of other more "traditional" media and is now bigger that Radio and Cinema in the UK. This growth is a reflection of the effectiveness of the Internet as a brand building medium. It's high degree of targetting makes it accessible to many more businesses that traditional media.

Search- As well as advertising on Search Engines (Pay per click), you can work your way up the "natural listings" in the search engines (search engine optimisation). This can be anything but straightforward, but if you get it right, you will do very well.

Generating comprehension and conviction

Website - a website sits at the centre of every Internet marketing campaign. It is where people go to understand more about your offering, either directly (having heard about it elsewhere) or through links from your awareness raising activity. Your site is your key online tool for people to find out more about your offering. A bad website will cost you in lost sales. A good one will push you ahead of the competition.

Action (or transaction)

Transacting - this does not necessarily involve taking money (although it very often will). It is about enabling your potential customer to move closer to becoming a customer. Signing up for an email newsletter, for example, is a highly valid transaction in many cases. Tip - always ask yourself why someone is visiting your site. Make sure that they can do what they came to do as easily as possible. A visit to your website is the beginning of a customer relationship, don't let it be the end.

eCommerce- it is much cheaper to set up an online shop than an real one. And your reach online is much, much greater. ecommerce gives you the opportunity to reach new markets, without any significant risk.

A part of the process

Relationship management - few buying processes are straightforward linear progressions. Most people, particularly for significant purchases, research or consider a purchase over an extended period of time. Use email to keep a dialogue going with them, so that when they finally make their decision, you are at the top of their mind.

These are just some ways that the Internet can help you to acquire more customers.