Question:
This question is for all of you Marketing Guru's out there:

I am in the process of building a website for the promotion and sales of Used Books. I currently list my books on a very popular website that sells books but want to "diversify" to some degree so I am not dependent on another site.

I have been surfing the net; reading newsgroup posts, newsletters, ebooks, etc as well as talking to just about anybody I know about how to promote the site.

I have gotten lots of information on Banner Advertising, Ezine Advertising, Search Engine Positioning, FFA Sites, etc but don't have any idea of how to put it all together into some comprehensible, trackable marketing campaign.

So How do I develop a marketing plan for my site?

Answer:
I am in the process of building a website for the promotion and sales  of Used Books. -So How do I develop a marketing plan for my site?

Assuming (big one) your business is profitably operating in competition with 1/2 price (and lower) book stores (with no shipping charges), the first step is to clearly identify your business and your target market segment(s) i.e., the prospects/customers you are trying to reach.

1.  What kind of used books do you sell? Antiques, specialty, out-of-print, etc.?

2.  Who is buying the books you are selling?   a.  From you - are you (or the site you are selling through) collecting any data about the people who are buying?   b.  In general - what do you know about the kind of people that purchase the kinds of books you sell from other sources?

3.  What are these buyers like? - where do they shop, what do they read, where do they gather (offline and online), what organizations do they belong to, what motivates them to try new (ok, new to them) books, to try new sources for books, what makes them buy again from a source?  How old are they, what sex, what activities (beside reading) do they engage in?

4.  What is important to them about the product they are buying (subject, price, condition, availability, etc.)?

5.  What is important to them about the source of the product they are buying (quality of service, added value, availability, means of payment, reliability, etc.)?

6.  Do you have a mailing list of existing customers - people who have purchased your books through the existing site?

7.  What resources do you have available for marketing your services and wares?   a.  What budget, initial and as an ongoing percentage of sales, is available for marketing?   b.  What marketing abilities do you have to support the marketing of your services and wares - can you create attractive and effective mailers, brochures, signage, newsletters, marketing messages, etc. - or will you need to obtain the services of a professional marketing firm to carry out your marketing?   c.  Are you available to travel for meetings, gatherings, book fairs, etc., and do you have available the materials  (booth, tables, display racks or cases, etc.) to support an appearance at such events?

The more you know about your target market segment(s), the better the marketing message you (or your marketing firm) can craft, and the more focused your choice of media will be.  Once you have the above information, you can assemble a rudimentary marketing plan from a book, or a professional can assist with a basic marketing plan.

Remember that the promotion of a commercial web site includes promotion off the web as well as on the web.  Depending on the specialized nature and behavior of your target consumer, your off-web promotion may be much more productive.

General traffic increases to your web site cost you money at least twice, so the greater percentage of real readers - potential buyers - you bring to your site, the lower your cost of lead will be.

Recently I completed a course and my project has some relationship to your problem. Some of my work can be seen on a web site at: You might like to put together a marketing mix for each segment - then build a value gateway to coordinate all of the e-Business elements to deliver a good experience for each segment. Make sure every one delivering value to your customer/business is under contract.