Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

Hi Sally,

Sounds like an interesting business. Perhaps a little more input will help the KHE’rs with responses.

what is a typical customer profile?

How is your product used?

How large is your database? Have you sent any emails? Any opt-ins?

Besides the eBay possibility, what are you doing now? SEO? How is it working?

I’ll come back to this later,

- Steve

also, what's your URL.

Sally,

Regarding search engine marketing (SEM), it would probably be best to get outside help from an expert in SEM. Here’s a past link on this subject.
https://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/qst_question.asp?qstID=3053

The highlights for successful SEM include –

1. Make your website search friendly using HTML tags – create specific copy for each page title and body copy themes
2. check to see how you’re doing against your competitors, link to tool: https://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/default.htm
3. Get on your industries’ sites, such as the Aquatic Exercise Association and Aquatic Therapy or lifestyle sites that match your target
4. check www.wordtracker.com for keyword stuff
5. do link exchanges when appropriate
6. explore paid verse natural search. Paid means buying keywords (like Google’s Adwords), and nature means what your search engine rankings will be based your site’s search friendliness
7. explore all of the monitoring and measurement tools available to you.


Again, because of knowledge required to do a great job, it’s best to find an expert. Also, you might try talking with some of your customers about their experiences in finding your site.

Best of luck,

- Steve

Sally,

After some more thought here are a few IMHO suggestions in response to your post.


WW: I have a line of clothing "Water Warm-ups" that I have manufactured in the U.S.

SB -- Waterwarmups gets the top ranking on Google, but water warm-ups gets second page ranking. Who are your competitors? What are typical keywords for your product generically?

WW: My customers are a specific group that wants to know about my products.

SB -- meaning they have an understanding of their need for your products, but just don’t know how to find you?

WW: Once I find them, they usually want to purchase at least one jacket and repeat their orders continually.

SB -- known as “life time value” of a customer plus customer referrals to family and friends. Can you estimate what this value will be?

WW: I have two new fabrics for my Warm-up jackets, shorts and unisuits and would like to reach new customers.

SB – new product announcements in Trade pubs, could be press release posted on media sites

WW: instructs Water fitness and land based aerobic classes in Orange County.

SB – growth restricted to Orange County unless you decide to franchise it to other areas, focus on product sales verses the exercise side of business. However the exercise side adds credibility and nice story possibilities

WW: I also want to sell some of my discontinued styles online at a good discount.
Is the "new Ebay store" something I should be considering?

SB – eBay might work, I don’t know

WW: I have a large data base of email addresses of existing customers and need to send out email ads, etc. to them and need help with that too.

SB – how large hundreds or thousands? Email broadcasting software is cheap (less than $100.00) send a monthly email to this list. Good content is key but doesn’t have to be a newsletter, maybe single topic writing.

WW: I design a line of clothing for use in pools for exercise and or rehab

SB – how much of a factor is fashion design, what about luxury resort marketing -- an entire program, again great PR opportunity, if major resort uses your product, posted press release could be picked up by publications.

WW: I display and sell at conventions like the Aquatic Exercise Association and the Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute symposiums (have done 5).

SB -- Do they provide email addresses of attendee’s especially the instructors?

WW: I advertise in a bimonthly magazine called AKWA.

SB -- Again PR, how about a feature article about you? Call the editor and discuss the readers interests and needs

WW: I need more exposure on the web . I have not done anything like doing things with Google, etc. I need info on how to get up on the search engines too.

SteveB – hire an expert, there are many in the forum here


WW: four fabrics are designed to cover the body for all four seasons. SuperSunSafe-sun protection, POLY-(polyolefin-fuzzy side warm against the skin and a smooth side outside)light warmth (similar to wearing a sweater) to wear to keep warm and sun protection, Ultra Stretch Neo-.5mm stretchy neoprene lined with titantium glideskin and lastly Stretch Neo-for warmest fabric 1.0mm (same neo as above yet thicker).

SB – wonder if any of this is worth a ‘patent pending” discussion?


WW: Instructors and therapists are a great target for me as they share with their students. I offer a 10% discount for certified instructors for their own use. I also sell exercise equipemnt and shoes on the web.

SB – how many instructors are out there? Can they be identified by associations etc.?

Lastly, you really need a marketing plan, try searching "marketing plans" on this site.

Hope this helps generate more thoughts and input,

- Steve

Do you have a website? If so, may we see it?

Thank you.