MARKETING your business online is a cost-effective way of communicating with potential customers on a global scale.

Developing an effective online brand involves so much more than launching a quirky website with flashing images. An effective e-marketing strategy should represent your business objectives and ultimately boost sales by complementing your existing communications.

E-marketing goes hand-in-hand with traditional promotional tools such as advertising, PR or direct mail, and is especially valuable to smaller enterprises, by providing access to the mass market at an affordable price.

A simple web link on advertisements or corporate literature can drive more visitors to your website, providing potential customers with additional information about your company and potentially leading to an online sale.

E-mail campaigns make it easier to obtain detailed information about customers’ responses to advertising, allowing you to measure results and establish how effective a campaign has been.

By working for your business 24 hours a day, a website can even help customers find out about products when the office is closed.

Business Link has made it easy for companies to benefit from e-marketing through its guide to using digital technologies at businesslink.gov.uk/northeast, which describes how to develop, implement and monitor an e-marketing plan and discusses topics such as developing customer trust in the face of security and privacy concerns.

It provides advice on whether e-marketing is the correct approach for your business, and outlines the steps necessary to get started, such as ensuring fast internet access and setting up a server.

Business Link is also inviting businesses to optimise their online presence through a series of workshops hosted in partnership with web marketing specialists MBL Solutions this month.

The sessions will take place at:

● Durham County Cricket Club on Monday;

● Central Square North in Newcastle next Tuesday;

● Alnwick Gardens, Northumberland, on Wednesday, September 24;

● Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art on Thursday, September 25.

All workshops are from 1.30pm to 4.30pm, costing £25 plus VAT per delegate.

To find out more, call 0191 250 4530, email marc.shepherd@mybiz.co.uk or visit mblsolutions.co.uk/webmarketing For information about Business Link, visit businesslink.gov.uk/northeast or call 0845-600-9006.