Carol Owens

8 Must Have Internet Marketing Tools for 2010

Running a business on a tight budget can be tricky. You want to make sure you spend wisely so you aren’t wasting money. When mapping out your 2010 plan for your Internet Marketing business, it’s important you have the tools that will help you move forward.

Here are 8 Internet Marketing tools you want to make sure you have in your arsenal before you go guns blazing into 2010 trying to stomp out the competition. Make sure you have what you need and if you can’t afford it, set aside savings until you can.

1.  Social media management options

Web 2.0 was new and shiny for awhile. Now it’s practically out of control, but you’re not going to steer clear of a social networking site when it has the potential to deliver lots of sales to you. Whenever possible, you want to make sure you’re utilizing social media management tools to make your job easier.

For example, if you’re bookmarking your domains, use OnlyWire to do many sites at once, instead of manually submitting them one by one.  For Twitter, consider using TweetDeck or another similar tool that helps you manage your microblogging communications. These applications help you cut down on the amount of time you spend sifting through dialogue to reach your target audience.

2.    Site design tools

Unless you have deep pockets to outsource your projects, then it’s wise to invest in some site design tools that help you quickly and easily put together professional websites without having to spend weeks learning some new technology.

3.    Article spinners and submission software

If article marketing is your primary source of traffic, then you may be using quite a bit of PLR (private label rights) to help you dominate the online chatter in your niche. While PLR can be used unchanged in most instances, if you’re submitting to certain article directories, you might want to spin the article into something unique – and a submission tool can enter your data into many sites at once rather than you having to do it individually.

Rather have your articles rewritten by a human? Contact me to rewrite your PLR so it is unique.

4.    Graphics creator

Graphics are something that can be purchased in bulk and used by many or outsourced to a professional service provider. But if you have time and want to learn, educate yourself about a particular free or paid graphics creation tool so that you won’t have to rely on another person to convey the image you have in your mind for your products and services.

5.    Keyword research tool

This is a definite must-have tool for Internet marketers. Some keyword research tools are better than others. Some provide more data, or the information is more up-to-date than a competing product. Review several options before deciding which one is best for you, and then make the most of your new keyword tool for 2010 by taking action on the results it delivers to you.

SEOBook is a full range keyword research tool.

6.    Traffic analytics for SEO purposes

With more competition coming into the mix, you’ll want to really cut your teeth on the latest SEO strategies (white hat of course) that are being taught. Some of the SEO tools you’ll need will be how to guides, while others are applications that analyze your existing traffic and make recommendations on how you can achieve even better results.

7.    Autoresponder list builder

Don’t have a list? Then start building one today. Not tomorrow and not next week – today! Too many marketers fail to start building a list until they have ample traffic coming in, but even 1-2 list additions per week will eventually add up to a healthy number over time as traffic picks up.

For 2010, you’ll be able to find some viable free list builders, but most marketers with the funds available will opt for the paid tools that give them more peace of mind that they won’t someday wake up and find their list has vanished or the freebie site has gone under.

Although not a f/ree service, I recommend Aweber for their outstanding service.

8.    Reliable hosting

If you have the most fantastic website in the virtual world, it won’t matter if your hosting company has too much downtime. You want to make sure your hosting is affordable, but that shouldn’t be the only reason you choose one host over another. Look for a very small percentage of downtime, ample customer service options that are provided 24/7 and 365 days a year.

Hostgator is my hosting choice.

***For full FTC disclosure, YES – it’s these are  affiliate links :) I only promote products I have used or am personally familiar with. But at least you know I’m a true user; not just someone hoping to make a quick  dollar. ***