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While many entrepreneurs can start a business at the drop of a hat, it seems a mystery to them much of the time in how to promote or market it. They just stop cold at the idea. But really it only takes a bit of planning to start.

Here are some steps to help you simplify your Internet marketing and get your business off to a good start:

Marketing analysis:

1. Before anything else, you should do a market analysis to find out who your public is, what products and services they need and what they are looking for to solve problems for themselves.

2. Secondly, do a prospect analysis. Work out who you most want to come to your site as far as prospects or visitors.

a. Who are they? Their ages, class and demographics etc.

b. What sort of things interest them?

c. What are these people's needs and wants? What are their problems and how can your products and services help them solve them?

d. Where can this public be found, or what websites do they go to, what publications do they read?

Write up a brief thumbnail sketch of what you find.

Your basic business plan:

Put together a business plan. Get your goals laid out so you will keep on course:

1. Set your goals: For 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. 2. Decide on what you are going to do to achieve them.

Educate yourself:

3. List all the marketing techniques you know, educate yourself as much as you can. You can do this with free marketing newsletters, e-books and videos etc.

4. Once you have listed and noted all the marketing techniques see which ones will fit into your budget and can be applied to your business.

Then using your marketing analysis information and your list of marketing methods, you can make your marketing action plan.

Marketing action plan:

1. Decide which methods apply to your business

2. Decide which ones will fit your business

3. When you know where to reach your public, use the direct marketing method necessary to get them seeing you and your products.

4. Get keywords for your website and optimize your website content for the search engines. For a review of my favorite keyword research, go to: http://www.at-home-business-opportunity.com/keywords

5. There are 3 common categories of marketing: a. When your customer comes to you it is called Passive. b. Direct marketing, when you actually seek out customers and advertise to them. Examples will be Ezines and websites, related to your business. c. Social marketing, Myspace, forums and discussion boards etc.

You can put everything into action right away as soon as you have made the decision on which method you will use. Work on 1-2 methods at first, track and test them to ensure they will fit your budget, bring visitors and make you money. Budget carefully, by starting small and working up. Always try promotions for at least 1-3 months. Watch and track all results so you can build on the successes and avoid the failures.

Make a success of yourself with these methods of marketing, and build your business like you have always dreamed.