| Having a product or services, a kind of website and | | | | If you are selling a product in the consumer market |
| lots of enthusiasm is simply not enough to ensure | | | | then you should make the effort to develop a |
| that your small business succeeds. There are certain | | | | striking point of sale POS presence. Go and find |
| necessary basic marketing mechanisms you need to | | | | examples in your supermarket or in stores similar to |
| put in place to ensure that your business is around | | | | where you product would be sold and develop these |
| for a long time. | | | | merchandising styles. These might include corrugated |
| A simple template based website might be sufficient | | | | floor or end cap merchandisers, tags or wobblers. |
| but you should ensure that it does the job perfectly. | | | | Remember to obtain the merchandising guidelines and |
| This means someone other than you will have to | | | | policies from the stores involved in marketing your |
| test it to see that all the links work and that | | | | product. |
| navigation is logical and easy to follow. If you have a | | | | Advertising of some kind should form part of your |
| website where customers can make purchases | | | | marketing mix. This need not be expensive. In fact, it |
| ensure that the shopping cart feature is functional | | | | is unusual for newly established small businesses to |
| and user friendly. You should also have some kind of | | | | advertise in the prime media print, TV and radio. Even |
| search engine optimization conducted to ensure your | | | | a simple online banner ad, a PPC campaign or an email |
| website is easily found. | | | | campaign might be effective. Look at distributing |
| Next you are going to need brochures and price lists. | | | | business cards, flyers and leaflets. Work out a nice |
| Included in these should be all the basic information | | | | advertising mix that will address your target audience |
| connected with your business and your product and | | | | within your budget. Do not look at advertising your |
| service pricing. Your website should encompass | | | | business as a luxury but rather as an investment that |
| everything included here. These basic tools are | | | | will pay handsome dividends over time. |
| essential to make selling your goods and services | | | | Once your marketing campaign is operating, don't |
| easier. It is shocking how few businesses have | | | | omit to test and monitor results via your website, |
| insufficient basic information to hand. Dont fall into | | | | public relations, point of sale and advertising efforts. |
| this trap. If your goods and services are of a | | | | Then you will be able to work out your return on |
| technical nature, ensure that you have specification | | | | investment. You will get an idea of how you need to |
| or data sheets available. Remember: people like to do | | | | alter and refine your campaign, this time around and |
| business with people that put their prices in writing. | | | | the next year. |
| You need to announce to the world that you are in | | | | If you do not see yourself having the time, skills or |
| business that your new products and services meet | | | | patience for setting up your basic marketing plan |
| their needs and are everything they have been | | | | then consider getting a marketing consultant or |
| waiting for. Sending a press release to the media is | | | | agency involved to help you. Some such agencies and |
| an excellent way to do this. Don't feel inferior your | | | | individual marketing consultants offer full spectrum |
| business is newsworthy. Have a press release | | | | marketing services that can handle all of the above |
| professionally written and distributed. If using a | | | | and more. A huge advantage of dealing through an |
| professional press release writer eats up your entire | | | | agency is that it eliminates having to research and |
| budget, consider distributing the release through an | | | | find reliable suppliers. Instead you work with one |
| online service such as and others. | | | | contact who takes responsibility for it all. |