Profitable Target Marketing: 6 Lessons from Major League Baseball

Does your business struggle with profitable online marketing? If so, you are not alone. Attracting the right customers to a site and keeping them coming back -- while also turning a profit -- can be a challenge. Consequently, I'm always on the lookout for ways to demonstrate profitable online strategies.

Last night, as I watched the 2003 Baseball All Star Home Run Derby and visited Major League Baseball's Web site, it struck me. The league is doing many things to effectively find and attract targeted Web customers, while simultaneously generating revenue.

In fact, I noticed several lessons from Major League Baseball you can use to profitably target your own customers. Here are six of them:

Think Through Your Business Models

Free information and activities are present, but well thought out, revenue generating business models are also evident.

Lesson 1: Make your profit generators stand out.

MLB.com has a separate, prominent navigation menu for profit producing activities -- MLB Shop, Tickets, Auctions, Subscriptions -- which appears in the upper right on all pages, where potential paying customers cannot miss it.

Importantly, each corresponding area of the site is narrowly focused on the visitors' interests. For example, the shop sells baseball -- and only baseball -- items. This is readily apparent from the slogan "For all things baseball".

Lesson 2: Sell subscriptions.

The league generates revenue from a variety of event subscriptions -- live video broadcasts, live audio broadcasts, archived clips, and fantasy games. This also help open the door for repeat purchases and add-ons.

Lesson 3: Include advertisements.

Pop-ups and other online advertising are a fact of life on free-to-user sites. Major League Baseball demonstrates taste and intelligent implementation with their pop-under, limiting each visitor to a single impression. Banner advertisements and sponsorships are also apparent.

Develop Profit Pulling Marketing Techniques

Lesson 4: Segment your visitors.

The league uses a "hub and spoke" system, which allows visitors to choose their own interests. There is one general site (MLB.com), with links to several specialty sites. (stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com, etc.)

This portal approach helps segment visitors into specific interest groups. It is a win-win strategy. Visitors find what they are looking for and the league can more easily target its marketing activities.

Lesson 5: Target locally.

Each "spoke" off the MLB hub contains local content, which segments visitors regionally. The league targets products and services accordingly.

For example, the Cardinals team site includes detailed information for Cardinals baseball events, ticket purchasing for Busch stadium games, and auctions for St. Louis related baseball memorabilia.

Lesson 6: Offer tiered products.

MLB offers subscription services at many levels. By packaging fantasy games into progressively larger bundles, they encourage trial as well as repeat visits. The offerings also target customers according to interest level and budget.

There you have it -- six lessons in profitable target marketing from Major League Baseball.

About the Author

Bobette Kyle draws upon 12+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing. Bobette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network, http://www.websitemarketingplan.com, and author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business." ( HowMuchForSpider.com/TOC.htm )

Copyright 2003,2004 Bobette Kyle. All rights reserved.

executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport car
In The News:

Getting virus alerts on your iPhone? Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you learn how to handle fake scam alerts and boost security.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says opening emails is safe, but risks arise from interacting with links, attachments or HTML content.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals four signs of compromised Social Security numbers and offers five steps to protect yourself.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how MAB Robotics' Honey Badger 4.0, a versatile robot, now walks underwater with amphibious skills.
An updated Android trojan called FakeCall hijacks bank calls. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says Android phone manufacturers and Google need to step up their game on security.
The Massimo Modular E9 is a sleek, smart and comfy tiny home in 409 square feet. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson takes a closer look at what the future of housing might look like.
Every stock trader should consider a virtual private network to safeguard their trading, according to tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson.
Apple recently announced its new lineup of Macs and rolled out Apple Intelligence, its latest artificial intelligence-powered feature for its products.
A Swiss-engineered robot can climb ladders, showing why it's at the cutting edge of autonomous robotic solutions for harsh industrial settings.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson presents the cities targeted most by robocalls, why this is happening and what you can do about it to protect your privacy.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares tips and suggestions for how to get the best use out of the updated Calendar app available with the latest iOS update.
Your Social Security number, your unique identifier used for many purposes, has likely been leaked on the Dark Web; here are some steps you can take to protect yourself.
Researchers have developed a new technology that creates strong, sticky fibers capable of lifting objects and capturing things from a distance.
Smart rings track the same things that smartwatches do, including steps, sleep and a general overview of your overall health, and they tend have more battery life than smartwatches.
Researchers have developed a robotic finger that can perform routine medical exams like those conducted by doctors, helping to address the growing shortage of trained professionals.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Insurance administrative services company Landmark Admin reported that a data breach from a May cyberattack affected over 800,000 people.
Sotheby's will auction the first artwork created by Ai-Da, the world's first robot artist created in 2019 by British gallerist Aidan Meller.
More than 250 million users of the Verizon Messages app will have to switch to another app. Verizon is shutting down Messages in the next month.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides a list of 10 celebrities who are the most targeted by deepfake scams, including Tom Hanks.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how Vast's Haven-1, launching in 2025, transforms space living with human-centric design.
UnitedHealth confirms over 100 million Change Healthcare users had their data stolen. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals what happened and what caused the breach.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how iOS 18 brings new text formatting and animated effects to the Messages app.
Whether you're a social media veteran or novice, Facebook friend request scams are common. Kurt the CyberGuy provides tips to keep your account safe.

Website Promotion: 10 Sure-Fire Tactics To Sell Your Back-End Products

A back-end product is a product that you attempt to... Read More

X-Ray Specs, Turning 30, and Achieving Website Success

I was writing the final chapter of my book on... Read More

Novel Free-For-All Idea

Almost anyone who has tried submitting to free-for-all sites will... Read More

One Way Link Building Campaigns

This article explains in detail the various issues related to... Read More

Website Promotion - The Stakes Are Rising ? And So Is The Cost

Over the past couple of months it has been quite... Read More

How To Gain Web Traffic Through 9 Simple Tips

Driving traffic to your website can be a time consuming... Read More

The Reality of Linking

On a regular basis I receive e-mail through all my... Read More

7 Innovative Ways To Advertise Your Web Site

1. Directory Linking Create a directory of web sites on... Read More

Ineffective and Unethical Web Site Promotion Methods

In this article I discuss some ineffective and/or unethical website... Read More

Has Your Business Hit a Wall? What to Do When Business Slows Down!

I doubt that anyone reading this article hasn't at one... Read More

What?s in a Name?

Behind every good web page are codes only the search... Read More

I Need Real Visitors, NOT Search Spiders!

The answer to the first question is simple, the difference... Read More

Complete Novice Builds Business Using Press Releases on the Internet

My name is Barbara Mascio. I am the founder of... Read More

Promote Your Website: Search Tools

Many companies after spending a substantial amount of money on... Read More

10 Ways To Extend The Reach Of Your Site

Successful websites extend their reach far and wide! They build... Read More

Marketing Tips for Your Web Site

Here are some simple and easy tips on how to... Read More

Website Promotion

Have you ever wondered why some websites get a thousand... Read More

What Can You Do To Beat Your Competition?

In many cases when you start a new website you... Read More

Culture and Website Localization

Culture and Website Localization With the rise... Read More

Website Promotion: 10 Electrifying Tactics To Boost Your Profits

Is your business lagging behind?Are you frustrated?Cheer up.Here are 10... Read More

Competition Freebies and Sponsorship For Free Advertising and Link Popularity

How many competitions are there running on the net at... Read More

Converting Web Site Home Buyers to First Contacts

According the National Association of Realtors(R) ("NAR") surveys completed between... Read More

Youve Got A New Website, But How Do You Get Folks to Look At It?

I took a look at a new Website recently in... Read More

How to Write Great Testimonials and Why it Can Increase Your Profits Incredibly!

Everyone likes to read or get a referral about something... Read More

The 4 Keys to Great Website Promotion ? Helping Others with Friendly & Useful Services

With all the "How To" articles, and great advice available... Read More

O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..