Any company with a computer and access to the Internet can set up a website, blog or Facebook page.
But that's just the beginning. There are a few basic rules you should consider before taking your marketing campaign online.
Rule No. 1 - Don't just use your website to sell people stuff. Build a relationship with your customers.
This was an easy rule to follow for Petra Cooper, founder and President of Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company, a niche producer of fine handmade cheese. Since it takes several years to ripen cheese, Cooper decided to use the time to launch a website where people could learn about her plans to launch an environmentally sustainable cheese business.
Rule No. 2 - Offer cool, free content
To develop value-added online content, start with a marketing strategy that reflects your customers' needs and challenges. Include an inventory of your company's internal resources and knowledge and how they can be shared online to help customers.
"Don't always focus on how great your company or your products are," says Dmitry Buterin, co-founder and President of Toronto web developer Bonasource Inc. "Instead, come up with a white paper that explains how to tackle a business challenge, for example. By being educational, factual and broader than your company or product, you give potential customers the information they need to make an informed decision."
Rule No. 3 - "Open your kimono"
Transparency is a cornerstone of Fifth Town's Internet marketing strategy. Its website lists the local farmers who provide the milk as well as details on its green business practices, including waste management (a bio-wetland), energy use (geo-thermal) and packaging (no plastic).
Buterin says this "open your kimono" approach is what's needed to connect with savvy and critical consumers. By sharing your best practices and providing people with interesting and useful content - including e-newsletters, online videos and blogs - you can establish your company as an expert in your field.
Rule No. 4 - Know what they're saying about you
Companies shouldn't just broadcast to the public. They should monitor what's being said about them on blogs and social networks and engage people in conversations, both on those sites and in the comments section of their own website and blog.
"It's important to know what they're saying about you online and be quick to respond," Ellison says. "It's all about influencing the conversation and getting your side of the story out there."
Rule No. 5 - Measure results
Buterin says a key part of any marketing strategy is measuring its results. For example, you should be tracking the number of visits to your website, where visitors navigate on the site and what your conversion-to-sales rate is.
