When your profits begin a downhill slide or just seem at a stalemate, you scratch your head and ask a thousand times, What am I doing wrong? Well, the truth is that you may not be doing anything wrong, but there may be some things you could do to bring about a change. The next time youre up against a brick wall, try implementing these techniques into your marketing campaign, and watch those blues disappear!

1. Change Your Advertising Focus Hey, everyone is a prospective customer, but lets face it... not everyone is interested in what you have to offer. Why waste advertising dollars on those who dont even pay attention?

Find your niche. Identify the audience with the greatest need for what you have, and learn all you can about them. Become a specialist who knows what they need, and advertise directly to them. Youre customer conversion rate will soar!

2. Be Unique. There are plenty of copy cat marketers out there trying to mimic the success of those around them. Sometimes it works... sometimes it dont. But the fact of the matter is that the more unique you are the more attention you will get.

What isnt your competition doing? Yeah, try that! Chances are they cant or arent willing too. Thats your key to success!

3. Offer a Bonus. Who will pass up a freebie? Add these on the house products to your sale to sweeten up the deal. The freebie doesnt need to be anything too big, or cost you anything. Just the idea of the bonus will increase the perceived value of the purchase in the consumers eyes. And yeah, theyre all looking for the best buy for their buck!

4. Gather Follow Up Info. Most customer dont make a purchase the very first time they walk through your door, but dont let them escape your clutches. Find out who they are, and how to contact them in the future. The longer you keep a line of contact open with them, the more trust you build up. Sooner or later theyll be back and ready to buy this time!

5. Wipe Out The Risk Factor. The biggest reason people hesitate before making a sale, is the lack of confidence that they are making the best choice. Hey, no one wants to invest in a product that doesnt live up to its name. In fact the fear of making a bad choice is greater than the desire for the product.

You can totally eradicate the risk factor for consumers by providing an unconditional money back guarantee. When you guarantee satisfaction, they wont be so hesitant to get out their wallets and commit themselves to the purchase.

6. Be Diverse. The buzz word in the Internet Marketing realm is Affiliateships. Affiliate marketers find products that are related to their own products, and offer it to their customer. The customer wins because he can learn more about the product he is investing in, and you win with commissions for an easy sale. After all, its much easier to sell to a customer with his wallet out and open than to build a relationship with a brand new customer.

7. Keep Your Eyes Peeled. Marketing is an ever changing entity. The Internet has brought tremendous change to the way we do business and advertise. Its wise to keep your eyes peeled for new advertising methods that will add to your profit margin. A word to the wise: dont go too far out on the limb. Keep 80 percent of your marketing budget working on the tried and true methods that have made you successful, but use the remaining 20 percent to test for ways to increase your advertising success.

These seven tactics can bring even the most sluggish marketing problem to life. Try one or all of them and watch your sales begin to climb once again... or even for the first time!

Copyright 2005 Cutts Group, llc