What Computer Skills Do I Need To Start Marketing Online?
It’s Help Desk time! Today, Russell asks this question.
I’m 59 yrs. old and didn’t grow up with computers. I find it very difficult to figure out which computer skills I need to know to market on the net. I hear people talking about creating capture pages, building web sites ,building your lists…but I need someone to tell me exactly which skills I need to develop to accomplish those things and where to go online to get this training. Thanks for your help, Russell
A: Thank you for entrusting me with such an important question. When my friend Kelly McCausey was asked a big question like this she said something like “I feel you just asked me to swallow an elephant”. That’s what I feel now 🙂 This is a big mega huge topic but I’m going to give it a go.
You want brutal honesty? The bottom line is, you need more marketing and business skills than you need technical skills. If you have some capital to invest, then invest in a good web designer or a good virtual assistant who is capable of doing these things for you. Let them handle building web sites, capture pages, blogs and so on. You learn about the marketing aspects such as why should you build a list. How do you promote the website, tactics to get JV partners, create content or create ideas for content.
I do not know where you are right now in this journey. Do you already have a product? Do you have a market you are interested to enter in (a niche)? The way I see it, this whole online marketing this is a process. A series of steps. So start with the basics.
If you already have a product or a target market you’d like to focus on, your first step is to create a web site, blog or some kind of web presence. If you are brand new and you don’t have much capital. Start with a website builder like InternetBasedFamily.
Another way you can go is a blog. Hire someone to set up the blog on your own domain. If you want to DIY check out BloggingStarterPack. When you tear everything down, a blog really is just a web site (I know some people will want to debate this point with me) but that’s just a technical fact.
The rest of the stuff mentioned – building lists, building capture pages come after you set up your web presence. So consider that step 2. If it were me building a site, I’d put list building as the next thing to tackle. Once you have these three things down pat, you have a good foundation. Everything else you do from then on will be done to promote your blog/website and get people to signup for your list.
On a parting note, don’t wait to learn certain skills before you take the plunge. Internet Marketing is a very hands on industry. As long as you can email, complete forms you’ll get there because there are tons and tons of tools that make the tech stuff easy. Pick the thing you commit yourself to do and go for it.
Do You Want A Hands-Free Business?
Then get this guide to help you systemize your business so you'll have more time working on your business.
Hey! I want to make sure you know what you're getting here. In addition to the guide, you will also receive our memo that includes special offers, announcements and of course actionable information.
Thank you for promoting the virtual assistant industry. We can do a lot more for businesses than people realize. Like you said, it is worth the investment to get someone to help you with your online presence. Whether this means website design, SEO, article marketing, or just creating a great email signature. Concentrate on the things you do be and hire a virtual assistant to do the rest.
Very sage advice! Though I might differ on some of the details.
I totally agree marketing and business skills are more important than web design skills.
My own suggestion is to focus on building unique content. These days much attention is paid to video but the written word is always important too.
Learn about people and how to persuade them.
Read Seth Godin. Learn to tell your story.
Read Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” – you’l be amazed at how much this book parallels the best “copywriting wisdom”.
Read Robert Cialdini’s “Influence: The Psycology of Persuasion”.
Read about copywriting. One excellent shortcut to good copywriting is a software program called “Glyphius”. It won’t write your sales copy for you but it will tell you how it rates with the best convering sales letters. While I’ve used it myself with good results I’ve been amazed at the top copywriters like Micael Fortin who’ve stepped up to endorse it.
Like Lynette says, you are better off building business skills and outsourcing technical skills. Charles Schwabb, one of the first men in America to draw a million dollar a year salary (back when a million meant something) was paid more for his people skills than for his knowledge of steel making. Something to think about.
Thanks you so much for your insightful message! I am sure it will more than inspire people to get on with their business development.
I personally use a blog (and a minor web site) almost entirely for my business endeavors. If I shut down my blog, then I would be shutting down my business.
I do think a lot of very small businesses could do well with a blog too; however, they should also make sure they are well focused on their goal.
I fact, I took a course – Freedom Business System by Mr. James
Brausch. You can find it or him at:
http://www.JamesBrausch.com .
It may help some of your readers in their business web site or blog
development.
It doesn’t actually focus on “Blogs” per se, but it aided me
in the development of mine and my business, and I’m supporting a family with my endeavors.
Hey, let me get off my horse. I truly did enjoy your credible advice, and I will be sharing the link with a number of friends.
I’ll be back soon!
Merry Christmas!
Hi Darrel, no problem. I have positive experiences so far with VA’s there are of course ups and downs. But that’s true of working with anyone even in a regular J-O-B. So it’s nothing out of the ordinary in my opinion.
Hey Chet, thanks for your input I really appreciate that. The story about Schwabb reminds me of a similar one. I can’t remember who that is now but one of those big names too. This was like in the 30’s and they actually tried him in court because people accused him of not knowing enough about how do the small stuff. But he said, that’s why he has staff to figure those out… or something like that. LOL can you tell my memory’s a sieve?
Hi Lynette,
You’re welcome.
If I remember right it was Henry Ford and I think it was a congressional hearing of some sort. Anyway they were criticizing ol’ Henry for not having an education above the eigth grade.
He replied, “Listen, I don’t pretend to everything but on my desk I’ve got a row of buttons and all I gotta know is which button to press and I can find out anything I need to know.”
It’s all paraphrase but that’s how I remember it.
We all experience selective memory at times, but I know how you feel. Sometimes I’m sure I’m losing what’s left of my mind.
Chet
That’s it Chet. That’s how I remember the story too.