When you’re trying to increase your business’ online presence, you want to utilize strategies that are beneficial, and avoid those that are costly and time-consuming with a low yield.

One good thing about Internet marketing is that it enables you to make quick, course-correcting decisions once you realize what’s not working.

So to help guide your way, here are three common mistakes in Internet marketing that you should avoid if you want to achieve success.

Don’t Require Registration

Some websites offer users free information as a tidbit, but then require that visitors register with the site to continue reading the content.

Visitors may look at this as a kind of bait-and-switch tactic than can easily result in them abandoning a site in protest.

If you’re going to offer free content, allow users to view the entire content, and if it’s good enough, they’ll want more.

Required registration is a time-consuming process for visitors, one that they often avoid in search of another site that has done away with this procedure.

Don’t Ignore Criticism On Social Media

If you’re not using social media to market your company, you should be, and chances are that at some point, you’ll experience some kind of criticism or negative feedback related to your product or services.

Social media marketing expert Jessica Mack, helpfully points out in this piece, that brands that ignore social media customer care through actions such as disabling the ability of customers to post comments, or ignoring customer requests, will pay a steep price.

The worst thing you can do from a marketing standpoint is to ignore these criticisms, because complaints and negative remarks on social media can quickly go viral and blackball your company.

Instead, formulate a measured and calm response that addresses the issue and even offers to make some kind of effort to fix the problem.

Social media has broadened the power of the consumer to such an extent, that one person who feels ‘wronged,’ can marshal enough ammunition to destroy or harm your company’s reputation across a variety of platforms.

But you can avoid this issue by constantly monitoring your social media feeds, or assigning this task to a member of your team, and giving that person the authority to handle the issue in a manner that the complainant will find reasonable.

Remember, social media criticism can also transform into accolades based on how well and how quickly you handle a problem that arises from a dissatisfied client.

Pleasing an unhappy client may cost your company some money, but it’s a worth investment in gaining much-needed social-media capital.

Satisfied consumers are much more willing to spread the good news to others, because you have affirmed their importance to your company by righting a wrong. You’d be surprised how much goodwill that will confer upon your business.

Don’t Send Spammy Mail

While a targeted campaign of emails and newsletters to existing customers is always a good idea, you should avoid flooding their inbox with a ton of ads, which can quickly be perceived as ‘junk’ or ‘spam.’

Think about your reaction when you get a package of leaflet coupons in your regular mail.

Your first instinct is to toss the whole thing, because you just don’t have the time to sift through that daunting pile.

The same principle applies to emails and e-newsletters.

Your customers and regular users only have a limited amount of time, so make sure that every single email or newsletter has real value before sending it out.

In a recent blog, digital strategist Ian Cleary suggested the use of email automation, a marketing tool that sends an email to consumers when an important event related to your business occurs.

Whether that event is a sale, a discounted item, or a giveaway, email automation is a targeted campaign that can yield a much greater return on investment than a traditional email marketing strategy.

Simple and Clear

By now, you’ve probably realized that the three “don’ts” all make a visitor’s experience to your website arduous and needless complicated.

Your goal is to welcome and entice a visitor to perform a specific call-to-action, whether that entails making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. But without presenting a site that is simple to navigate, clear to understand and persuasive in its content, you are fighting a losing battle.

If you have more questions about Internet marketing strategies and how they can improve your bottom line, sign up for your free newsletter today. You will get access to helpful content that can provide you with the tools necessary to excel in today’s competitive digital marketplace.

Summary

Content marketing is a cat that business owners can skin many different ways. Unfortunately, there are some methods or strategies that just don’t work, and will turn off a visitor who may have genuine interest in sampling what your business has to offer. That’s why you should avoid mistakes such as requiring registration to read content on your site, ignoring dissatisfied customer complaints on social media, and sending out emails newsletters that lack valuable content. These are unnecessary dead weight that can harm the rate at which you convert a visitor into a long-term client.