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As more consumers and businesses use the Internet to buy goods and services, online marketing strategies become increasingly important to businesses that sell online. When they use the right online marketing strategies, businesses tap into a dynamic sales opportunity by reaching millions of potential customers, but when they use the wrong strategies, converting leads into sales can be difficult.

Maximizing online sales requires a proactive approach to Search Engine Marketing (SEM), but it also involves avoiding common online marketing mistakes, such as the four below:

Insufficient Keyword Research

A website must be linked with the right keywords to achieve a high search rank. After performing keyword research, some businesses use the same keywords repeatedly without reassessing the validity of the terms; and some businesses do not perform keyword research in the first place. Instead, they assume the target audience will use certain, obvious keywords.

Because Google continually revises its website indexing criteria, keyword research must be performed on a continuous basis; if it is not, the Search Engine Results Position (SERP) of a website can plummet quickly.

No Measurement of Leads

Businesses use various resources to generate online leads, including SEO articles, YouTube videos, and Facebook pages. When the leads generated by these resources are not measured, businesses lack insight into how to reach their target audience. Although using various resources to generate leads is recommended, not all resources are equal. By knowing which resources generate the most leads, a business can invest in resources that work the best.

A marketing strategist from an SEM firm that offers sales consulting services can perform lead measurement.

Unsupported Call to Action

A call to action should be supported by evidence that compels search users to take action. Simply placing the words "call us today" or a "buy now" button on a website is not compelling, but supporting the call to action with statistics, how-to videos, instructional diagrams, can compel search users to take action. A call to action should be placed, and properly supported, on each landing page of a website.

Using a Facebook Page as a Website

Because Facebook is free, using a Facebook page as a business website is attractive to small businesses, but a Facebook page should not be used as a business website for the following reasons:

• Facebook pages lack payment gateways
• It is difficult to measure how much revenue a Facebook page generates
• Not everyone uses Facebook as a shopping tool
• The generic design of Facebook pages limits web development

A Facebook page can be a valuable resource for generating leads, especially when it contains backlinks to an ecommerce website, but using it as a business website can limit your ability to generate revenue.

Conclusion

Meeting online sales goals requires a proactive approach to SEM, but it also involves avoiding the mistakes above. Companies that make these mistakes can still make sales, but their sales can increase when better marketing strategies are implemented. If your company needs help developing an online marketing campaign, consult with a marketing strategist at an SEM firm that offers sales consulting services.

A marketing strategist from an SEM firm that offers sales consulting services helps companies identify the right online marketing strategies.