“All I really want is an unfair advantage.”

It’s by W.C. Fields. Online marketers often use the phrase ‘unfair advantage’ to suggest that their proprietary info is truly unique. All you have to do is plunk down your money and get your hands on it. You will immediately have the inside track you need to burn past the competition.

Well, it just isn’t so. There are techniques that work better than others, but there’s no ‘magic bullet’. Marketing is a never-ending, every day process, and simply realizing this fact can give you more of the power you need to succeed.

Do a little marketing every day, test your results, then do a little more of what works for YOU. Ultimately you will develop your own system, refining it into a high-powered marketing machine you can count on for results.

At Copywriting.Net, we’ve found that using long copy in Web salesletters generates a higher sales conversion rate. Often we need 5-8 pages of text or more to deliver the potent sales message our clients need. This long sales message is supported by direct response formatting, as well as must-have elements people are conditioned to expect in today’s online marketplace. Put together in the right way, they build an overwhelming case for buying our clients’ products and services.

The result? More sales.

“What about selling to people with short attention spans?”

It’s true people demand instant gratification online, and will click away if they’re not engaged in 30 seconds or less (wouldn’t you?...)

Until 1999 master tailor Joe Hemrajani offered his 100% custom tailored business, casual and formal wear strictly through direct mail and word-of-mouth, spending considerable time traveling to major North American cities from his California office.

But as more and more of his clients accessed the Internet from work and home, Mr. Hemrajani recognized the importance of the Web to his business.

Hm. Well, sort of. Theoretically, that stuff is true, but it is also exactly the kind of thinking that actually causes people to fail.

Taking a passive approach to building your online business - just sitting back and waiting for the throngs to come and pour money into your web site checkout - is the kiss of death.

You have to get proactive to succeed here. Before you even begin to think about sales, you must find and attract genuine prospects to your site - people who are not only going to read your offers, but who are most likely to buy from you.

Where to find them? Here is my list of the top seven sources for your online prospects today.

Prospect Mine #1: Advertising

If are doing any type of advertising now—online or off—you must give readers, viewers or listeners the option of contacting you via the Internet. That means listing your email address and Web site URL. “Duh!” you want to say, right? But you’d be surprised how many businesses fail to include this info.

Whether you advertise by broadcast, print or email, it’s imperative that you get those interested folks into your database. The only way to do so is to get them to visit your site or to email you. The result is a list of highly qualified email prospects you can contact again with future offers.

For online advertising, I especially like newsletters. They come with the built-in advantage of having a very targeted audience—for instance, a newsletter might be geared toward lawyers, or work-at-home moms, or affiliate programs. If your product or service is for this audience, that’s the type of newsletter you’d choose.

Online newsletters are also relatively inexpensive. Many of these publications will run your ad for less than $25 a week. Look closely at the circulation figures for any publication you choose, and track results.

Prospect Mine #2: Referrals

Referrals are an important part of any business. Email marketing makes it extremely easy for your customers to send you referrals - especially if you provide a link that takes them to a simple form or email message to instantly drop in a name and send it off.

If you send your customers any sort of info or newsletter, always encourage them to forward it to friends and associates. The simple act of asking your existing customers or subscribers for referrals is a fantastic method for generating new leads.

Prospect Mine #3: Existing Customers

Every customer you have now or had in the past is a great bet for repeat orders. These people already like you enough to commit money to your company. They’re already aware of the quality you offer, and they’re the ones who are most likely to purchase from you again.

What if you don’t have the email addresses for your existing offline customers? Ask them! Call them or contact them by snail mail, and ask those who are online to send you an email or visit your Web site. If customers call you, be ready to verify or record their email address on the spot.