Posted on October 17, 2012 by admin

If you have an online business or brick and morter business you probably sometimes may feel overwhelmed by how many ways there are to market. You may wonder which is best?

Guess what? The basics of marketing are still the same today as they were years ago.
So stick to these even when marketing online.

Number one rule – explain the problem and how you solve it.

Lets continue with the five P’s of marketing

Product. Remember that it is the center of all your marketing campaign. This is the very reason why you’re planning carefully this activity. That’s why you have to ensure that you offer one which is of good quality. Its importance is obvious. If you deliver products of poor quality, you’ll surely receive many returns. Just imagine the hassle it will give you. This is not to mention the bad reputation that will affect your business in the long run. Remember that it’s difficult to gain the trust of one customer. It takes years for you to earn a good business reputation, but it only takes a second to lose it. So make sure that you meet your customers’ expectations by delivering products of good quality corresponding to your claim when you are planning your product launching.

Price. This is very essential, especially if you have competitors in your niche who offer more or less the same kind and quality at a lesser price. Therefore, price it according to its quality and the benefits that it can give to the buyer taking into consideration that of your competitors. Of course you cannot just lower its price as easy as that because you also have to consider the cost of producing it and other related expenses. So you have to do your research and cost analysis carefully.
Packaging. The appearance of your product as a whole is also important. So you must package it in such a way that will appeal to the senses of your target customers. Packaging does not only refer to its physical appearance, but also to how you want your target customers perceive it. So design a good packaging to catch people’s attention.

Place. This also plays an important factor to the success of your product launching. Of course, it will be illogical to launch in areas where your customers are not physically located. Thanks to the internet, it’s no longer hard to reach out to them. You’re just one click away from them. However, you also have to work hard to gain such number of visitors.

Promotion. It actually includes product launching and advertising thereafter. It must be carefully planned taking into consideration the rest of the P’s. Create a promotional campaign that will make you stand out from among your competitors. Whatever methods you’re using in your product launching, whether it’s online or offline, the basic principles of marketing are still the same. What has changed is only the medium of doing it. So learn the basics of marketing for a successful product launching.

Back to basic rule: explain the problem and how you solve it.

How about the type of marketing channel to use? What is a marketing channel?

Indirect Channel – The indirect channel is used by companies who do not sell their goods directly to consumers. Suppliers and manufacturers typically use indirect channels because they exist early in the supply chain. Depending on the industry and product, direct distribution channels have become more prevalent because of the Internet

Indirect Channel Methods – Distributors, wholesalers and retailers are the primary indirect channels a company may use when selling its products in the marketplace. Companies choose the indirect channel best suited for their product to obtain the best market share.

Direct Channel – A direct distribution channel is where a company sells its products direct to consumers. While direct channels were not popular many years ago, the Internet has greatly increased the use of direct channels. Additionally, companies needing to cut costs may use direct channels to avoid middlemen markups on their products.

Direct Channel Methods - Selling agents and Internet sales are two types of direct distribution channels. Selling agents work for the company and market their products directly to consumers through mail order, storefronts or other means. The Internet is an easy distribution channel because of the global availability to consumers.

Back to basic rule: explain the problem and how you solve it.