[music]
Doctor, doctor, give me the news…
I’ve got a bad case of marketing blues!

Just be glad this isn’t an audio blog with me singing. I keep singing this tune in my head.

Whenever clients call or email with their Internet marketing blues, we ask, “Where does it hurt?”

There are six pain points in any Internet business and they relate to our 6-step formula for online success.

Remember, you have to: attract, give, convince, compel, sell, and up-sell for online success.

And you need to use the right tools for the job, as in:

Step 1, to attract, you need a website, a blog, and/or a landing page. You need bait (keywords) everywhere in the cyber pond: articles, press releases, podcasts, blog posts, web pages, archived newsletters, etc.

Step 2, to give, you need a database management system that helps you build a list of prospects, deliver digital downloads, segment your lists by interests, and follow-up with email confirmation and autoresponder messages. For us there is only one tool that does this job, and that is KickStartCart.com.

Step 3, to convince, you need well-written words to create credibility and trust. Online, your words are your sales people. Few will buy from you until they like you, trust you and feel a connection with you. You must build relationships with your potential customers, above all. Everything you write must be focused on your prospect/customer. The right tool for this job is your head and your heart.

Step 4, to compel, you will need to learn the copywriting skills of the direct response marketers and apply them to your niche in an authentic way, in your own voice. You use those skills to write effective email marketing messages. You must appeal to basic human emotions in order to persuade others to buy into your solution to their problem. The right tools for this job, in addition to copywriting skills, is KickStartCart for sending out email promotions, and landing pages where you post the sales letter.

Step 5, to sell and up-sell, you will need an impeccable sales process that works smoothly at every point along the way, from offer to purchase to follow-up. Otherwise, your clients will lose confidence and abandon at the time of purchase. KickStartCart does a fine job of managing this for you, but only if you use it effectively.

Step 6, recycle, means you can’t stage just one sale, with one product or service, and expect to thrive online. You must continually develop new products and services if you want the coffers to be full. You need to get to know your readers, clients, and prospects very well, in order to fill their needs. Using a good survey tool helps, as does asking questions. The right tools for this are email, blogs, and survey tools.

Is this too much to ask of solo entrepreneurs who are trying to run a business with little staff and limited tech skills?

There are more virtual assistants coming online everyday who are trained to help with KickStartCart and other admin tasks. But as a business owner, you need to know how all this works if you wish to sustain a thriving business online.

If you need some help with any of these pain points, call the doctor. I’m Dr. Patsi Krakoff, a retired psychologist and half of The Blog Squad.

We’ll help you feel better.

For more leading edge Internet Marketing tips subscribe to The Blog Squad's ezine Savvy eBiz Tips at http://www.savvyebiztips.com . To learn about using social media tools like blogs, check out The Blog Squad's Mentoring Program: http://www.theblogsquad.net/mentor