Internet Business Systems – Two Ways to Streamline Results

What is the #1 factor that predicts the long-term success of any business? Systems. Of course, I’m talking about long-term, the big picture. This is not to say that a great system is all you need to make boatloads of cash. Sorry, folks. Customers and consistent sales are crucial factors. I’m talking about the importance of systems in taking a business from something that works to something that’s scalable and sustainable.

I hate to do this, but it’s just too obvious to avoid. Let’s look at the McDonald’s business system. I know, I know. Been there, done that. Business School 101. But to be fair, McDonald’s and all of those savvy followers (Blockbuster, Starbucks, Netflix, etc) are great examples of businesses that succeed because of smart systems.

So what does all of this have to do with Internet Business and Web Marketing? Stupid rhetorical question, I know. Obviously no web-based business is going to succeed today without a streamlined system. Yup, the same rules apply.

In fact, what the web has done for the business world has made systems easier to create than ever before. That’s the good news. The bad news is the web has made it harder to compete than ever before.

Let’s be honest, the term Internet Business is a bit of a wash now. Aside from local providers – groceries, cleaners, personal services, etc – virtually every business today is web-based in one way or another. And those businesses that maximize the potential of web systems and web marketing are going to outlast those that don’t.

Now we can dig into the practical stuff. What are some of the most important Internet Business systems you should consider?

Strategy #1 – Build Web Marketing Systems
So much online marketing can be completely (or almost completely) automated. One of the best examples from my own business experience is Pay Per Click or Pay Per Impression advertising. Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, and many others offer extremely effective advertising systems that make marketing on auto-pilot totally possible. Of course, some work and management is involved but once you’re over the learning curve and you find an effective strategy, you can let it ride.

Many other online marketing methods can be outsourced as well. Article marketing services like what we offer can manage everything from conception to content development to mass distribution of your campaign.

As we all know, marketing is too important to let slip through the cracks because you’re too busy managing daily affiars and putting out fires. This is a valuable lesson I learned yet again just yesterday when my girlfriend, Facebook advertising pro Stephanie Frasco, schooled me on getting much better results with my new Facebook campaigns. Often, our own ignorance is the greatest obstacle in getting some marketing system to work well.

Strategy #2 – Build Operations Systems
With customers lining up from your slick marketing campaigns, it’s critical to deliver on your advertising claims and to keep all of your trains running on time. Over the years, one thing has become very clear to me about today’s customers — delivery time is often more important than anything else. Quality is crucial too, but most people would rather have a decent pizza in 30 minutes than an amazing pizza in 3 hours.

Depending on the type of business you’re running, there are endless tools and resources available for creating a business system infrastructure that keeps you and everyone else on task. Need to manage a virtual staff in one place? Try Basecamp or ZOHO. Need to outsource to remote workers? Get help on GetFriday or AskSunday. Need a programmer to improve your order processing and customer management? Go to Elance to find reasonably priced expert-level help.

Above all else, always look for new ways to do things. Cut out unnecessary steps. Eliminate time-consuming product or service offers. Watch for wasteful habits in your own daily workflow. Streamline, streamline, streamline.