Internet Marketing: What to Avoid Doing in Your Campaign

Getting your website to the top of the search engines is a great feeling. However, watching your online presence languish below the top results is frustrating, and can be almost enough to swear you off using the Internet to market your business.

It's understandable, but the rewards of Internet marketing are so great, that you can't avoid them. So, if your efforts are not getting you where you want, your campaign might include strategies that should be stayed away from. Here are 10 mistakes many make when going forward with an online marketing campaign:

1. You decide to go it alone
   Internet marketing might seem easy enough. Do a few things here and there, and instant success, right? Not exactly. There are things you can do yourself, but Internet marketing companies exist because they know proper techniques. Deciding to throw caution to the wind and not obtain some form of professional help can lead you to implement techniques which will hurt you in the long run, and can take a while to fix.
2. You have a website, and that's it
   Yes, the most essential step of Internet marketing is to have a website that looks great and serves readers well. But, if that's all you have, then you're likely to not see the search engines – and potential customers – respond. With so many websites out there, you need to give yourself a competitive advantage and begin marketing online.
3. Your website has no clear call to actions
   You want people to come to your website. But, once they're on it, what should they do? Not directing people to certain pages (notably those where they can request contact from you or buy products) is a mistake that will leave you without an ROI. Your website should contain clear call to actions so your visitors know what to do.
4. You don't know what your competitors are up to
   You need to be aware of your competition, and keep an eye on them. If you're not, you could be losing business without even knowing it. Checking on your competitors to see what they're doing and whether it's working can provide you with ideas for strategies, especially if they're forgetting to promote a popular product or service.
5. You're copying content from other websites
   One of the worst thing any website can have is duplicate content. The three major search engines (especially Google) heavily frown upon plagiarism. If you're swiping text and pictures from other websites, it's time to get in touch with a professional Internet marketing company to begin putting together original content.
6. Your website contains false information
   The Internet loves nothing more than to expose liars and phonies. Your website needs to have true information. If you're promoting products and services with inaccurate information, you're just asking for trouble, and need to rectify this immediately.
7. You don't have a presence on social media
   It's not enough to just promote your services and wares, but you have to engage persons in a conversation about them. Social media engagement has become a big factor in proper Internet marketing and SEO, so if you're not using social media to get your message out there, you're missing out a big customer base.
8. You're not aligning your efforts
   The efforts you make for your online marketing campaign should all align with each other. You have big news on your website? Put it in a blog, then put information out on social media and social bookmarking websites. To obtain optimum results, everything needs to work in coordination.
9. You're not paying attention to search engine trends
   What worked in Internet marketing a year ago, or even a month ago, might not work now. Paying attention to search engine marketing trends for changes to algorithms and techniques can help you to maximize your efforts, and not waste time on practices that no longer generate the same bang.
10. You gave up too quickly
    It's all about patience. While there are things you can do to obtain immediate results, the vast majority of Internet marketing should be centered on establishing your website in a position that will generate good, long-term value, and not just a one-time increase.

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