There are a lot of ways to market your business online. Most people think of the most obvious ones, in my opinion. These include but are not limited to links from one site to another and pay per click on Google, Yahoo and MSN. these are certainly the obvious links to look at and consider. Many people think that this is the the best way to go and in many cases they may actually be right. However, there are a few areas that I like to look at that take the idea of online marketing to a new level.

Specifically, I like the idea of marrying the proactive nature of eMail marketing with the passive ideas associated with the “build it and they will come” ideas that many website owners have when it comes to building their site. Take a look, for example, at a website called www.KiddieCastle.com. This site is one that is flowing gaining awesome ranks on the natural side of search. The site has well positioned links and contact forms to encourage a user to complete an online request for more information. The thing that really sets this site apart from the others, in my opinoin, is the awesome job that it does with auto responders. Every person who completes an online request gets an email right away with more details. After the email is sent out, a third party system is engaged to do additional online marketing to close the loop on the sales process. Emails are sent out to the user 1, 3, 5, 7, 12, 21 and 30 days after the initial request is made. These emails are made using third party systems such as iContact.com. Each auto responder has a different message and is personalized. The idea here is to develop a marketing tool that goes beyond just a click. It’s important to develop a brand and keep the prospect in the cycle in order to make the sale.

Another example of this type of marketing can be found at www.mydivorcedocuments.com where the divorce forms sold online assist parties in every state to obtain a legal divorce without the need for an attorney. You can also check out www.createmywill.com for another example of how a consumer can purchase a do it yourself will and estate planning kit over the web without waiting. Both of these sites use proactive marketing techniques.

Simply put, marketing a website is much more than just getting people to your site. You’ve got to know what to do get them to convert. Marketing is only one half of the process.