So you’ve finally perfected your product or service … you have a great business name … and a website, something like that. But you have no idea where to start marketing your new business.

This article will help you with ideas for developing a priority list of marketing materials you will need to launch your new business.

1. A Web page. Since you already have “a kind of” one, you better make sure it is 100% perfect. You will need someone (other than yourself) to do it for a test drive. Make sure all the links are working and pointing to the correct destinations, and that the navigation is easy to follow and logical. If it’s a business site, make sure the shopping cart feature is functional and easy to use. Also, you’ll want some sort of search engine optimization assessment done, even in the early stages, to make sure people can find you when the word gets out.

2. Brochures and price lists. It’s hard to do business with someone who doesn’t have pricing and product information on hand, either online or offline. Brochures highlighting the benefits of your product or service will help make your sales job easier. A data sheet will be beneficial to you if your product or service is technical in nature. If you have multiple products or services, a price list is a must. People don’t want to do business with someone who doesn’t put their prices in writing.

3. Press releases. You have a new product or service that meets a need somewhere and is newsworthy, so let the world know. Have at least one press release written and professionally distributed. If you are on a tight budget, spend the money on a professional to write and then do the distribution yourself using online resources such as http://www.PRWeb.com and other services.

Four. Merchandising at the point of sale (POS). This is crucial if you are promoting a product that is sold in commercial or consumer stores. Take a walk through your favorite mass merchant or department store to see what’s popular, like corrugated floor displays or end caps. With new printing technologies available, even small runs of corrugated cardboard can be affordable on tight budgets. Be sure to check with your customer first about their marketing preferences, policies, or guidelines.

5. Advertising. If you have the four items above (or three if you don’t need merchandise) in place, it’s time to consider doing some advertising. It could be a simple online ad banner that you want to run, a PPC campaign, or a bulk email, even a more complex integrated campaign using both online and offline formats. Obviously, you need to research what you want to do and the associated costs to budget accordingly for the investment of time and money that will be required.

Don’t forget to monitor and test the results of your website, press releases, POS, and advertising efforts. This will help you determine where you are getting the best bang for your buck, or if you need to “tweak” something. And when it’s time to create your marketing plan for the coming year, you’ll know what to repeat and what to avoid.

If you are really stuck for time or just overwhelmed by the whole launch process, take a look at the various services that marketing consultants offer. Some offer full spectrum marketing services that can handle all five of the above elements (and more). This saves you from having to search and find reliable vendors to work with and deal with multiple contacts. Usually one phone call does it all.