Marketing – online business's biggest challenge

Check out some of the millions of 'get rich quick' websites online and you'd be forgiven for thinking it was easy to make a mint online. Not so. The internet isn't magic. Too many people still think that a website's like a field of dreams... 'build it and they will come' They won't!

Getting your products in front of your target audience is just as tricky online as it always has been offline. If anyone tries to convince you it's easy, take them with a very big pinch of salt. They'll be talking rubbish. Don't give 'em a penny.

Online marketing involves a huge array of different media and disciplines. There's Pay Per Click and Search Engine Optimisation, email campaigns, free offers, click-throughs, landing pages, power pages and all sorts of other stuff to get to grips with. SEO alone involves link baiting, link building, content generation and management, article writing, blogging, keyword research... the list goes on.

How many people have a brilliant marketing idea that falls by the wayside because marketing it is too expensive, challenging or baffling? It must be millions. Franchising is one of the best ways to sidestep a huge chunk of the most crucial marketing responsibilities. You're given ideas and materials. You get valuable advice about selling. You get ready-made special offers, updated website content and – if you choose a good one - a constant stream of visitors generated by your franchiser's SEO activities.