1. Designing a Website With No Planning

Small business owners squander billions of dollars every year because they misunderstand the reality of marketing and rush into it headlong - particularly on the internet. A huge amount of this wasted money and effort is being spent on websites that are developed, posted and ignored. There are numerous disjointed websites that look like they haven't been updated since 2000, complete with outdated or missing information, broken links and annoying music and animations. These website owners are paying for services that are producing absolutely nothing. It's critically important to carefully plan every aspect of your website's development, targeted keywords, and all of your other internet marketing efforts, before it goes live, as well as how it will be maintained and updated moving forward.

2. Failing to Research Online Competitors and the Marketplace

Go to your favorite search engine and enter keywords and phrases that your prospects would likely type in when searching for your products or services. Visit your top ranking competitors and find out what they're selling and how their websites, services and prices compare with yours. While browsing, keep a few questions in mind:

How do their products and services compare with mine?

Are they priced similarly?

Do they have a wider or narrower selection?

What types of packages do they offer?

Then look for ways to make your site stand out by continuing to bore down into your niche for products and services that appeal to the same target market, or uncover unfulfilled needs. Although the non-experienced marketer is far more likely to commit this research blunder, seasoned business owners also fall in love with a neat product or creative idea, rushing headlong into a venture without conducting objective research in advance.

3. Developing Poorly Designed Websites that are Difficult to Navigate

When visitors land on a website they experience "stay" or "go" moments within the first ten seconds. If it looks unprofessional or difficult to navigate, they leave and typically will not come back. Your prospects will judge you, your products, services and company instantly, and you're likely to get only one chance to impress them. All website owners should be doing everything they possibly can to ensure that their prospects are blown away by their website's look, feel and ease of navigation. Never underestimate the negative impact of poorly written copy, amateurish design and difficult navigation. This is an area where it doesn't pay to be pennywise - it's just too important.

4. Failing to Write Effective Direct Response Copy

Direct response messaging has one main goal: To get the intended audience to take action. Whether it's calling or visiting your office, providing contact information or directly purchasing products online, your web visitors need to be told what you want them to do. Most small business owners fail to use effective direct response copy elements in their website's written, audio or video communications. Craft specific messages for your particular target audience and encourage them to act as directed. Interactivity is the foundation of direct response, and the internet is the best direct response technique in history.

5. Failing to Build Permission-Based Email Marketing Lists

Regardless of whether you're selling packaged products or services, your website should have a focus on obtaining your visitors' names and email addresses. People who opt-in have essentially given you permission to send them promotional emails and/or other information. Not collecting this invaluable information is a huge mistake, as is believing that marketing is a "one-shot" transaction instead of using a sounder, relationship building model. Internet marketing is building a personal relationship. It takes time, effort and commitment to develop lasting bonds. Lead your prospects down a comfortable and natural path to that first sale. Keep in mind the fundamental consumer psyche laws: People are more apt to purchase products and services from people and companies they know, like and trust; and it is more effective and less expensive to get more out of existing customers than it is to attract new ones.

6. No Traffic Generation Strategy

Contrary to what you may have been told, the famous "build it and they will come" phrase does not apply to your website. If you want people to visit your website, you need to understand the basic laws and principles that govern internet traffic, and apply them. Marketing is a methodical process, and there are no secret tricks to drive thousands of qualified prospects to your website. Keep the following in mind: (a) Your goal should be to entice the right people to your website, not just warm bodies. (b) The right people won't visit your site by chance. They get there because you developed a comprehensive plan and executed it using well thought out strategies and tactics.

7. Not Using Web 2.0 Social Media and Technology

Far too many business owners miss out on incredible opportunities because they fail to take advantage of inexpensive and easy to use web-based social media tools. Marketing is not about reinventing the wheel. It's about working less, gaining more and knowing what's out there and choosing the tools that will provide the greatest impact at the best cost. If you're not using the internet's fresh new culture and technology to your advantage, you're making a potentially lethal mistake.

8. Not Combining Online and Offline Marketing Efforts

Nowadays, having a website is not an option - it's vital for success. Many business owners focus their efforts offline or online; another big mistake. Failing to put your website address on your business cards and signs, or providing directions to your locations on your websites is a prime example. Always plug your website address in your ads, invoices, business cards, brochures, flyers, newspaper ads, newsletters, etc.. Refer to it on the radio, TV ads, direct mail letters, faxes and anywhere your company name appears. This should always be actively promoted. Talk enthusiastically about your website and you'll get more people there.

9. Failing to Track Marketing Campaigns

Every type of advertising costs something, whether it's time, energy or money. You must track everything you do as it's the only way you'll ever know what's working and what's not. Business owners that do not take the time to track and measure their activities end up wasting thousands of dollars. You may have heard the common phrase: "You can't improve what you don't track." The internet is the most trackable of all your marketing efforts and should not be ignored.

10. Failing To Ensure Computer Equipment is Up To Date

When you get to your desk in the morning, you expect your computer to work. You have confidence that the documents you saved yesterday will be on your hard drive today. Your assume that your software will work today if it worked yesterday. You may not see the need to back up important customer information because you don't anticipate any problems. Don't fall into that trap. It's not a question of "if", it's a question of "when". Remember, there are lots of people who earn their livings because computers crash!