Why a Website isn’t Online Marketing
Let’s start with some cold hard facts. Do you have a website? Chances are you do since these days even people’s dogs have websites. Sadly a lot of those vanity sites for people’s Pooches are getting more visits than your corporate site.
There have been a few widely held beliefs since business started moving to the web.
1) Your web site should be just like your printed collateral
2) People care about cool look and feel and will be amazed and want to do business with you because your so cool
3) Your website and its content should be an integral part of your sales and marking plan and not a stand alone item.
On line Marketing is not a business card or brochure. So if you subscribed to that idea then odds are you didn’t and aren’t doing to good in that arena. Cars sell because they are cool but only in some cases most of the time they appeal to other factors such as safety, reliability, general brand image in the consumer’s mind and yes some times because they are cool.
So now looking at the third point there are a few things you need to answer for yourself. First off what is the purpose of your web site? Have you ever asked the question? Better yet have you ever answered it?
We’ll assume for the moment that the sole purpose of your website isn’t to create business and sell product or services without other sales channels. If you’re running a web only business, etailer, ebay store or other similar online venture your needs are the same as we are going to discuss but how you position and react act to them are even more important.
For the moment though lets assume that you have a “traditional business model”, one that has sales people either inside or outside, customer service, brick and mortar as they like to say in the press. That doesn’t mean you don’t need to be online and properly positioned. In fact the reality is that you do and that need is increasing every day.
I hear you scoffing at me “Oh sure look at the social reject with the glasses and the pocket protector telling me about needing to be online!” Guess what chump call me a geek all you want. Facts are facts I’m a geek and if you are not worried about your Web strategy and customer experience and positioning you do and not only do you need to have a web strategy that is integrated with the objectives of the rest of the organization I’ll go so far as to tell you that if you don’t you are going to be on the down ward slide until you’re out of cash.
Am I say to change everything and go to a pure web based model? No that in most cases would be stupid for a traditional brick a mortar business. but answer these questions
1) Who are you customers
2) Who do you want to be your customers
3) How do they search and research suppliers?
4) If they went looking for what you sell would you even show up at the dance or would you still be back in your office staring at a disappointing sales report?
5) How many people see your website daily weekly, or monthly?
6) How Easy is it to get those numbers? (It shouldn’t take a crystal ball to find out)
7) What are the looking at, how many are new people, how long are they on your site and is it bringing you any business?
Facts are facts if you run a sales organization or company and your customers aren’t Amish its time to get your game together. Can you find useful information on your website with out a map, a compass, three special forces units from marketing.
Looking at what you learned from years of making a business work and the questions above. Answer
A few cautions
Any web based strategy has to be grounded in good solid business.
Knowing your customers, your products and where you fit is key.
Just like prospecting and business development if you stop putting in the time then the results will stop coming too
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is only part of the key. A first page ranking on google is nice but is it for the right thing and is for what people are looking for?
