Unlike Brick and Mortar businesses, where you can meet your customer face to face, you only have two basic options when it comes to internet marketing-your website and your newsletter. No, I am not forgetting about social networking, Youtube and the others. I am talking about your primary point of contact with your customers.

It is far easier in the Brick and Mortar world to build trust. On the net, it is far more difficult but, if you don't work on building trust with your customers, your online business will fail. So, the question is how do you go about building trust with someone that you will probably never meet in person.

First thing that you must do is create a killer page. Put your picture on your site. Put your name, address, email address and a contact phone number on your contact page. You should also put a contact form on your contact page. This information should also appear in every newsletter that you put out and make sure that your readers understand that you truly want to hear from them. This way you are not just a faceless entity.

On your website, you should also put a bio page (About Me) giving your reader a glimpse into your personality, your background and what you intend to do with your website and newsletter. Again, this is a trust building issue and the more the reader knows about you, the more they are likely trust and respect you.

Make sure that your website is more than just a sales page. Your website and newsletter should always have solid fresh content on your niche. If you provide your readers with expert content, they are far more likely to trust you.

When it comes to the products you promote, make sure that they are products that you have either used yourself or at least have a copy of so that you can honestly represent that the product really does what it claims and that you can attest to that from first hand experience. I have several websites (they are all areas of personal interest) and every product I promote I have either used or have a copy of the product. A customer is far more likely to buy from you if they know that you are personally involved with the product. When you can tell the customer that you own the product and give them the personal results that you have had with the product.

Avoid Hype. The shortest way to lose a reader's trust is to over-hype a product. If anything, a little understatement will go that extra mile in product promotion. Anyone who has been on the net for any period of time immediately sees hype for what it is and will quickly kill the trust that you are trying to build with your customer.

Another thing that I now like to do with my websites is to produce a Youtube video of myself talking about some of the content on my website and then embed the video on the website. As they can't see you in person, at least they get to see you on the video. It gives them just one more reason to trust you and your expertise.

In closing, the main point with your website and newsletter is to use them to create mutual respect and trust between you and your readers. Give them the respect that they deserve and you will gain their respect.

Stan Pontiere has been an online marketer since 1997. At first part-time and then full-time since 2004. For further information on Marketing on a Shoestring please visit:

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